


Only Monsters Need Apply

by Mayonne



Category: Underswap (Fandom), Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: AU - Underswap, Alternate Universe - Underswap, Fluff, Human/Monster Romance, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Just a lot of cute, Multi, Not much of a plot, Racism, Romance, monster hate, not very clever with them, poor quality puns, sorry - Freeform, soul colors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-19 09:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7354975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayonne/pseuds/Mayonne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Mel's roommate decides to move out early she has to scramble to find a new one to help split the rent for her apartment. It did, however, give her the opportunity to try something a little different: try having monsters for roommates. She knew she needed a roommate, but she didn't know she needed a particular pair of brothers...</p><p>Underswap!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leaving Already?!

**Author's Note:**

> There isn't nearly enough Underswap Papyrus in my life, so I'm fixing that for myself. If anyone out there enjoys this too, then enjoy to your heart's content!

There it was again, that odd little sound that didn't belong with the music she was currently listening to. Melanie looked to the side with a focused expression, pulling away one side of her headphones to listen in better. Sounded like something was being dragged against the floor, and with it came a quiet grunt of effort from her roommate. Now feeling even more confused she pulled her headphones off her head entirely, leaving the music playing, and leaned over the railing of the loft which made up the majority of her space in the apartment. 

A large brown box slid just into view from below. It was still open, showing all the contents inside and Melanie recognized them all. What was that girl doing?

"Uh, Kate?" Melanie asked as she descended down the short flight of stairs that connected the loft to the main floor. 

"Yeah Mel?" her roommate, Kate, replied as she was hauling another box out of her room to set it on top of a different that was already sealed shut. 

Realization hit Melanie immediately, along with a sense of panic. "Kate. Buddy, chum, friend, pal," she sputtered, "What are you doing? I thought you'd be sticking around for, at least, another month."

Kate set down the box in her arms, easing herself of the current burden with a 'phew.' She then put her hands to her hips and looked to Melanie. "Okay, so, the bae actually managed to find a better place than the one we'd been looking at, so he grabbed it, which pushed our moving in forward since there's nobody there anyway. So, I figured I'd get a head start on that."

"What am I supposed to do now, though? Kate, I can't pay the rent for this place by myself!"

The apartment certainly wasn't the largest, but it did have enough space for a few people to live comfortably. The rent in question was a bit high due to the factors of it being on the nicer end of town as well as the general layout. Apartments with lofts tended to be more expensive than others. 

For Kate and Mel's apartment, guests were immediately greeted by the kitchenette as soon as they walked in the door. To the left was the living room and to the right was Kate's room as well as the single bathroom shared between the two of them. Up above, in the loft, was Mel's room. There was enough space for her bed, the built-in closet, and her desk which hung close to the railing allowing her a view down below into the living room if she turned her head to the side. 

Kate put her hands on Melanie's shoulders, making the girl look her in the eye. "Mel, calm down. I plan things out, remember? I've already paid for this month's rent, so you're good on that end. All you need to do is find somebody to move in with you before next month's rent is due."

"Oh, yeah, sure, you make it sound so easy," Mel replied, disbelieving. 

"Pfft. You'll be fine." She then gestured wide, inferring she was talking about the entire space of the apartment. "Look at this place. _Somebody_ will want to move in with you." She paused, looking as though she was going to add something. Then she did. "Thanks to my impeccable taste in decor." 

Mel narrowed her eyes and gave a playful glare at Kate, although her lips were still curled up ever so slightly in amusement. She knew it was true. She then threw her arms around Kate's neck in a hug. 

"I'm going to miss you."

"Me too, Mel. You've been an awesome roomie. I wish the same luck for the next one to move in with you."

"Thanks, Kate."

"So, you going to help me move out?" Kate asked after the moment passed. 

"Psh, no way. You're on your own." 

"Mel," Kate drawled out like a whining child. "But my back hurts. My neck hurts. My arms hurt. My feet hurt."

"Shaddap!" Mel barked, laughing anyway.

• • •

Kate was gone by the week's end.

It was strange walking into the apartment after that. There was an emptiness that filled in the place where Kate had been, making itself known through the unusual silence of her absence. It was a near constant reminder to Mel that she was alone now, which made her feel all the more pressed into finding a new roommate. She was just used to there being another signal of life--vivacity--around her and so she unconsciously tried to fill that void by moving around the apartment a lot more than usual. 

By the end of the first day after Kate moved out Mel was already feeling like she was losing her mind. It was just too quiet and there was only so much that she, herself, could do to alleviate that. She heaved a sigh as she flopped herself onto the couch in the living room, opening up a bottle of her favorite orange soda. She felt she could splurge a little bit in her choice of food and drink for a day or two...maybe three. 

Waking her computer back up from its self-induced sleep due to inactivity Mel went about putting out information that the apartment had an open space for somebody to move in. She made sure to try and word things as nicely as possible so that it would appeal to more possible tenants. She wasn't great when it came to writing stuff like this because of the limited number of characters the text box allowed. She had been better with essays while she was still in college, but that skill was withering with each year ever since her graduation. 

She looked over the information she had written down one more time to make sure that there weren't any typos or grammatical errors. She really hoped somebody would want to move in quickly once she posted the information. Melanie was about to confirm the post when she paused as a little idea tiptoed about in her brain. It was a silly idea, but one that interested her nonetheless. She sat there for a moment staring at her computer screen as she thought over how things would play out if she dared to add that last bit of information to her post. 

"Ah, screw it, I'll do it," she muttered. Then, with a look of resolution she added one more line before sending it.

_

Room for rent.

_

_

Decorated and fully-furnished apartment with loft. Appliances in like-new condition. Includes kitchenette with wood cabinets, single bathroom, and a lovely view of the city from the balcony. Available bedroom includes twin-size bed and built-in closet. Other amenities include dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer, and flat screen TV. 

_ _

Only monsters need apply. 

_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Farewell Kate, we barely knew thee...
> 
> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	2. 1 + 1 = 3?

A year ago Melanie would never have had the thought of monsters being a normal thing. But, when they emerged, led by child, everyone lost it. Some panicked over the appearance of the monsters, letting their fear get the better of them. Others felt curiosity towards them, while yet more were brave and returned the friendliness of the monsters in like fashion. It was the friendly, and curious, ones who helped to bring monsters into society by treating them like any other person. Eventually monsters were granted citizenship, were allowed to hold jobs, and own homes and businesses. 

That didn't mean that, suddenly, all monsters were living the good life. People still had their own opinions and reactions to them, some choosing to remain rude in their presence which would lead to troubles or complaints. This rudeness also extended into how humans decided to treat monsters who were employees or tenants within their buildings.

Papyrus and his brother, Sans, were suffering from the latter. This was the second apartment they had moved into ever since being freed from the Underground, and was worse than the first. Their current abode looked to be decades old and hadn't really been bothered to be updated. The carpet was likely supposed to appear a more tan color but was looking more like the color of dirt at this point, even with all of Sans' attempts to deep clean it. Appliances were more twitchy than the petals of excited Floweys, and all their neighbors were as unpleasant as their landlord. If there was someone else on the floor when he and his brother were walking in or out that particular human made sure to give a scowl in their direction.

Papyrus had enough of this place months ago. He would have preferred hanging around on the streets at this point, but he didn't dare for the sake of his brother. Sans, ever optimistic, would remind him often that if they left they wouldn't find a better place to move into. So, for weeks, he had been keeping a socket out for any openings in any kind of housing. For the most part the options he had seen were hardly any better than the place they currently were in, though there was the moment where he'd entertain his hopes a little more and look into nicer apartments only to find messages that landlords or current tenants didn't take monsters. 

He was entertaining his hopes once again right then. Scrolling down through the images on his phone he almost sighed at how much nicer these particular apartments were. As he kept scrolling there was something that caught his interest the moment it slid up past the frame of his phone's touch screen. He brought the message back down, going slower this time, until he could read the whole post related to the series of photos he'd been admiring. 

_Only monsters need apply._

He nearly dropped the sucker between his teeth to the floor. He had to clamp his jaw shut to keep it from falling. 

"No way," he muttered in shock. Papyrus had seen plenty of complexes that said they were 'monster friendly' but never a nice looking place like this one, nor with a message like that. It had to be some kind of joke, right? 

"Hey, bro, come check this out," he said lazily. He didn't even bother to get up to bring the phone to Sans. Instead, he just raised his long, lanky arm up past the top of the old, lumpy couch he was lounging on so that Sans could see. 

"What is it you are showing me, Papyrus?" Sans asked as he approached. Papyrus watched as Sans' light blue gloved hands held the edges of his phone. There were a few moments of silence as he looked through the photos, his bright cyan eyes turning into little stars as pupils. "Wowie, brother! What nice looking rooms!"

"Check out what the bottom of the page says."

Sans nearly ripped his brother's arm out of its socket as he brought the phone's screen right against his face in glee. The room was filled with his exuberant laugh of 'mweh heh heh!' and his eyes sparkling in excitement. "Monsters can live there?! Brother, you must contact them at once!"

Papyrus couldn't help but smirk at his brother's energy at this new prospect of living in a nice apartment. If this was a real thing and they could actually live there it'd be a real nice change in comparison to the current dump they were living in. He tapped in the number of the contact and listened to the quiet ringing.

"Looks like you were right, bro. We might finally have a nice place to live."

Sans wore a wide smile across his skull as he looked up, his gaze looking beyond the ceiling, and had his fists on his hips. "Mweh heh heh! Of course I was right, brother! I, the Magnificent Sans, simply knew that an opportunity would arise!"

The smirk on the lanky skeleton's own skull broadened a little more. The ringing stopped abruptly and Papyrus was greeted by a feminine voice.

• • •

Mel scrambled down the stairs from her loft when she finally caught the sound of someone knocking at the door. It was likely the Papyrus and Sans duo who had spoken to her just yesterday. She was glad that before the end of the week following Kate's moving out she had gotten a couple of monsters interested in sharing her apartment. She was looking forward to having some more life and movement in the little place she considered home.

With a bright smile she opened the door and was greeted by...skeletons. She wasn't expecting that. Mel certainly had seen a wide variety of monsters in the year following their freedom from Mt. Ebott, but never monsters like these two. One was a whole head taller than her, but she noticed how he slouched a little thus diminishing the full effect of how tall he was. He wore a rather large, almost excessively so, orange colored hoodie with his hands shoved into the front pocket there. She noticed how he had a faint, lazy smile on his face as he looked down at her with an equally lazy expression. 

The little guy next to him was the complete opposite. He stood a few inches shorter than her and looked up at her in excitement. Within his sockets were large glowing orbs that she figured were meant to replicate the iris and pupils of humans in a shade of blue. In fact, most of his wardrobe was a particular shade of blue, save for a little bit of gray and white. In Mel's opinion, the cutest aspects about him were the scarf wrapped around his neck and a broad smile across his face. 

"Hello human!" the little skeleton greeted first. He sounded like his voice was still going through the last effects of puberty before finally hitting maturity. 

Mel couldn't help but giggle in amusement at him. The little guy's own smile brightened a little more at the sound. "Hi, I'm Melanie. You can call me Mel. You two must be Sans and Papyrus?"

"Indeed, human! I am the Magnificent Sans!"

The taller one gave a lazy shrug of his shoulders. Mel noticed right then how he also had what looked to be a lollipop sticking out from between his teeth. She couldn't help but find that interesting. How could he suck on a sucker being a skeleton?

"Yo. I'm Papyrus."

"It's nice to meet the both of you," Mel replied, still smiling. She opened the door wide for them. "Come on in, I'll show you around the apartment."

Sans was easily excited by just about everything he looked at. He liked how new everything was in comparison to the place where they lived. He showed particular interest in the kitchenette and the appliances installed into the wall, mentioning to his brother how her fridge was far more capable of holding all their food options. Sans was also excited to see the size of the bed in the open bedroom. It was still odd for Mel to see how devoid of any decoration the room was. 

"Mweh heh heh! Human Melanie, it's all just as nice as the pictures!" Mel's smile tensed at his comment. Crap, she'd forgotten to update those pictures when she made the post. Oh well, didn't seem to matter now. 

Papyrus on the other hand tended to saunter along behind the two. Although his gaze was about as lazy as the air he gave off he still gave careful, concentrated looks around the place as Mel explained what was in each room and what was possible for them to do should they choose to move in. He quietly noted how the place was definitely as nice in reality as it was in the pictures, like Sans had commented. Then his gaze shifted onto Melanie herself. He appreciated how she handled his brother's enthusiasm so well as he listened to her giggle frequently as she observed Sans. She certainly seemed friendly enough, but he still held onto a degree of caution around her just in case she turned out to be like the other humans he had dealt with. 

"What is up here, human Melanie?" Sans asked, pointing towards the loft.

"Oh, that's my room. Yeah, it's super open, but I kind of like being up on a higher level." She shrugged. "Makes me feel like I'm in a really big bunk bed or something. Or maybe I just like the space." 

"What a clever design! You must have a great view from up there!"

"Yeah, I can see a good bit of the apartment up there. But the balcony has the best view, especially during the evenings. The sun sets just beyond the horizon, and when the sky's clear you just see these vast shades of orange and pink and blues..." Mel's smile softened as she remembered the numerous evenings she and Kate would just sit out on the balcony and watch the sunset. It had always been a great way to end the day, especially if it had been a stressful one. 

"Wowie...I would love to see a sunset from your balcony, human Melanie!"

"Well, if you guys choose to move in, you'll see plenty of them."

"I would love to!" Sans looked to his brother as the taller skeleton popped in a fresh lollipop. "Brother, what do you think? It is a very nice place, and human Melanie has been very friendly!"

Papyrus took one more look around the place, swiveling his skull to take it all in and keep it in his memory. He then gave Mel a half smile due to the other half being occupied with the sweet treat. "Yeah. We'll take it, but on one condition."

Mel tilted her head to the side, curious. She was also a tad nervous as she wondered what in the world his condition would be. Would he ask that she never be seen while they were home? That they rearrange the furniture? She only continued to make more and more ridiculous ideas of 'conditions' until he spoke up again.

"Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays. No exceptions." Sans looked downright gleeful at the mention of tacos.

Really? That was it? Assigning a day for a specific kind of food had not been an idea that had crossed her mind. But, she couldn't really complain, especially since having Mexican every week wasn't something she had expected to be mentioned. Now she was looking forward to what next Tuesday held in store for her. 

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	3. Moving In

The skeleton brothers were moved into the apartment by the end of the following week. Their landlord from their previous place was more than happy to see them go, and Papyrus was more than happy to never see his grouchy face again. Well, most of the moving was done by Sans as the two moved out, and then Mel helped out where she could when they returned to stay for good; Papyrus mostly hovered or relaxed on the couch which earned him a number of complaints from his brother.

"Papyrus, you lazy bones, why not help move these boxes?!"

"Nah, bro, I'm already _bone tired_ from the move."

Mel was startled when she saw Sans make the most irate expression upon Papyrus' use of a bone-related pun. She swore he practically looked googly eyed. 

"Mweh! Brother, this is not the time for your puns!"

"I dunno, Sans," Mel giggled. "I thought it was kinda _punny_."

Sans snapped his skull around to give Mel the same irate expression. There was also a feeling radiating off him that she interpreted as 'don't you dare.'

"You see, bro? She thinks my stuff's _humerus_." 

"It's so bad it's good. It kinda _tickles my funny bone_." 

"Cease And Desist!"

Both Mel and Papyrus were chuckling at each other's poor idea of comedy, as well as the little skeleton's exaggerated reactions. Still googly eyed he returned to rushing back and forth to bring in the moving boxes with abandon. Why he asked for Papyrus to help, Mel didn't understand, since the little guy was perfectly capable of hauling the boxes in by himself--even the ones that looked as big as himself. Mel still helped out where she could though, which mostly consisted of her opening the items Sans brought in and organizing what she could. All the while Papyrus remained lounging on the couch, watching the two work with half-lidded sockets.

He had been wary of Melanie, just as he had been with almost any human he and his brother encountered. He had no idea how she would react once she realized that she would be rooming with a bunch of bones like himself and Sans. But her surprise was, well, surprising to him. Her sense surprise had been the genuine 'unexpected' look rather than the shock of horror. His wariness remained, however, when she showed them around the apartment as he thought she was just putting on an act to make herself seem friendly. But, just now, she rolled right into throwing puns back and forth with him. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit that some of his caution dialed down a bit after that. And, she got along with Sans, which was a big plus to him.

Speaking of which, he gave a triumphant "mweh" once he managed to haul in the last stack of boxes and leave them with the collection of others that Mel was still opening and helping sort out. Papyrus kept watching the two of them with his hands behind his skull, making sure that there were no sudden moves that could be interpreted as hostile. He had dealt with that more than enough, in his own opinion. Even so, he couldn't help but feel a smirk develop as he watched Sans stretch his arms high above his head as he was likely on the tips of his toes trying to reach for a shelf in the cabinets holding the plates and glasses Mel already had while adding ones they had brought from the move. Mel offered to help, taking the plates from his hands and reaching up herself to set them where they belonged. 

"Hey, Papyrus, do you think you could help with the rest of these?" Mel asked, turning to look at him. "Both Sans and I are a little short."

"That might be a _tall_ order," he replied.

She smirked in amusement, turning around fully as she put her hands on her hips. "Hey, don't sell the two of us _short_ of your help."

"Compared to what you two have done I don't think I'd _measure_ up."

Her smirk only grew in amusement as the two of them kept punning back and forth, much to Sans' dismay once more. The googly eyes returned and he ran off with a box labeled as his stuff into the spare room. "Well, I'm not moving an _inch_ until you help get this stuff on the shelves."

And sure enough she kept standing there with her hands on her hips, the amused expression still there on her face. He had to admit that she looked good with a smile. It made the entirety of her face rise--her brows rising higher on her forehead with her eyes squinting ever so slightly due to the upward motion of her mouth, and making the little dots of freckles scattered across her cheeks shift with them.

Papyrus sighed as he rolled off the couch and moseyed over into the kitchenette and reached out with one hand to put the rest of the plates and cups onto the higher level shelves that both she and Sans had struggled to reach. At the same time Mel was organizing the rest of the utensils to their appropriate drawers. 

"Thanks, Papyrus," she said. 

"No problem, Mel."

The girl smirked to herself, trying to hold in her amusement as ideas on word plays kept going through her head while he was close. She just had to do it, since Kate had been just as fun when it came to puns and other word-plays. It felt good to have simple, silly reasons to smile and laugh with someone like Papyrus. 

"I had to get you off your _glass_ at some point."

The skeleton paused momentarily at her comment before meeting her smirk with another one of his own while raising a browbone, giving her a look that she interpreted as 'you wanna go?'

"Careful not to _stove_ me too far, or you might get burned."

"No need to get so _chilly_ with me," she replied as she opened the double doors to both the fridge and freezer, checking what all was left. They definitely needed more food... "I hoped we could have built a _fridge_ of friendship before that happens." 

He gave a lazy shrug of his shoulders. "I don't see why we still can't," he said in return, putting the pun game on pause. Though there were still traces of hesitation he had of her but the majority of it had been dropped by this point. She had been kind, genuine, and silly in her own way with both himself and his brother and he felt that he could allow himself to become friends with her. 

"Good. Things are really going to be interesting with you two around. I kind of look forward to it."

"We'll just have to see, huh?"

"Mm-hmm. So, it looks like we're going to need to run to the store. The fridge is far too barren after only me stocking it for a week," she said, running her fingers through her mahogany colored hair with a sheepish expression. "Do you and Sans want to come along? I don't really know what stuff you two will want."

"It's cool with me," he said with another shrug. 

"Awesome." Mel slipped past him and peeked her head into the spare room. Sans had already pulled all of his personal things out and was currently setting up a number of figurines to be in the perfect pose before setting each one down in a just as meticulous place on the dresser. "Sans? I'm heading to the store. Do you want to join Papyrus and me to get stuff?"

"Of course human Melanie! I must get everything to make the perfect tacos for this coming Tuesday!"

She smiled, amused by his boundless energy and enthusiasm. "I'll get my keys."

• • •

As it turned out shopping with two skeleton brothers was far easier than she expected. Sans wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to get every ingredient necessary to make tacos, and from the quantity in the cart it looked enough to feed the three of them for a few days. Mel shrugged it off though since she figured most of it would last to make sufficient for the first week or two of the newly scheduled Taco Tuesday.

Her own choices of groceries were by far the most normal: cereal, bread, condiments and peanut butter, and anything else she figured she'd need for sandwich options. There were a few extra things thrown in as well for dinner options. And, of course, there had to be a box or two of mac and cheese. The only odd thing between herself and the brothers were the number of jugs of milk. Apparently, skeletons really liked milk. She figured it was because of them being all bone, and the calcium for strong bones, or something like that. 

And then there was Papyrus. He seemed perfectly content to have his choice of groceries be only bags of assorted candies, lollipops, and bottles of honey of all things. How he wasn't as hyperactive as Sans was normally from the sheer amount of sugar he consumed Mel didn't know. 

"I don't understand why you continue to get these things!" Sans commented, looking at one bottle of honey before dropping it back in the cart as if he had been handling a dirty dish or handkerchief. 

"It's some _sweet_ stuff, bro."

Sans pouted. "You're always sipping at it! Maybe if you had less honey and more milk you wouldn't be such a lazybones!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Mel interrupted. She looked at the taller skeleton with a disbelieving look while pointing to the numerous bottles in the cart. "You...you drink these?"

"Yep." He made it sound like it was the most normal thing in the world. 

Mel glanced back and forth between him and the honey before eventually shrugging. "To each their own, I guess," she said, not really wanting to think too much on it. "Besides, it would be worse. You could be drinking ketchup or something."

"Nah, too bitter," he replied.

She made a playfully disgusted expression at his words, imagining him with a bottle of ketchup and drinking it like it was any other kind of normal liquid. "Yelch!"

• • •

Dinner that night was served up by Mel, already making use of some of the groceries obtained earlier in the day. It was a fun, easy recipe of making a batch of noodles then baking it along with a number of other ingredients to make it end up tasting like a pizza. The three sat side by side at the short counter that broke the space between the kitchenette and the living room, eating at their large portions. There was still another large serving available still sitting in the pan.

"This is delicious human Melanie!" Sans managed to say through a mouthful of food. The usual orbs of his eyes temporarily shifted to look like stars. Mel found that little trait both interesting as well as adorable. 

"I'll show you how to make it sometime, Sans. It's real easy to make."

"Yes, I would much appreciate it! With you I shall expand my culinary skills!"

"You'll be the best, bro," Papyrus added. The stars in his brother's eyes grew larger, along with the size of his constant grin.

"To your first night here, guys," Mel said, giving the customary raise of her glass before drinking at some more of her water. Once she set it back down she leaned onto the counter and gave a smile to the both of them. 

"Welcome to your new home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	4. The Early Bird Gets the Morning Job

Mel winced and grumbled, momentarily burying herself further underneath her thick blanket before whipping her arm out with surprising speed and smacking her fingers onto the 'snooze' button of her alarm clock. It was a near subconscious reaction at this point. Once the beeping was silenced she snuggled herself back into a comfortable position for about another minute before really letting herself wake up. Having to wake up so early in the morning for the first shift at her job wasn't something she preferred, but once she could clock out she'd have the rest of the day to herself, which was what she preferred.

Grumbling again she sat up straight and vigorously ran her hands over her pixie cut hair to try and force some of the bed head she knew she had out. Having to wake up just minutes before five in the morning was always rough on her, but she bore through it for not only the freedom of the afternoon and evening after but also for the paycheck she'd get every few weeks. It was still dark out as she slipped out of bed, stretched, and quietly tread through the apartment as she got herself ready.

She could hear Sans snore occasionally through the slightly open door to the spare room. She smiled to herself when she peeked inside and could see the little lump in the covers that was the skeleton as they rose and fell with his breathing. And then she went to check on Papyrus, who had chosen to crash on the couch. Mel and Sans tried to convince him to share the spare bed with the little guy, but he had already made up his mind that he'd let his brother have it so he'd be more comfortable. When the other two saw that he wasn't going to let up in this decision Mel relented and gave him some spare blankets and pillows so that he could sleep well on the couch. From the looks of things he was perfectly fine; his long, lanky limbs tangled up in the blanket and one arm draping loosely off the edge.

With a half hour left to get to her job before the café opened she was ready to go and had gotten her bag over her shoulder before a thought passed through her mind, and she stalled for another few minutes in order to leave a note for the brothers. The day before had been so busy with the two of them moving in that she had made no mention of her job, nor the hours it demanded her to be awake and out of the apartment so she thought they'd appreciate knowing where she had disappeared to whenever they awoke. She pulled off a sticky note from off the stack next to the fridge and scribbled a quick message.

_Sans and Papyrus,_

_I'll already be off at work by the time you two wake up, so don't worry about where I've gone. I'll be off by around lunch time, so I'll see you two then._

_-Mel_

• • •

One minute after six in the morning Mel was already clocked in for work and waiting at the counter for the first customers of the day to arrive while her co-workers, Dani and Josh, finished setting things up such as placing chairs down around select tables or doing one last restock of lids, straws, and napkins. Josh was a laid-back character and he got along with Mel, as well as just about anyone he met which helped to make him the senior employee there with authority just below the manager. He was in charge of baking and keeping the place stocked with croissants, bagels, muffins, and sometimes small cakes once the afternoon rolled around.

Danielle, or Dani, wasn't quite as friendly, but that was saved mostly for monsters. The young woman tended to give them looks like she was observing something gross. She also put on airs around them whenever they stopped by like they weren't as important as her or any other human; Mel had seen on multiple occasions how Dani would delay or even ignore orders monsters placed. 

When the first customers did finally come in they were only a few degrees more tired than the trio currently working. Some even looked like they were still shuffling through, with eyes half-lidded by lingering sleep, before waking themselves up enough to make a coherent order of coffee. 

Mel enjoyed being a barista. The smell of different kinds of coffee beans filled her lungs with each new cup she brewed for each customer; the aromas being her own version of what any other person would use a scented candle for. If she could have things her way, she'd simply have bags of coffee beans open around in the apartment and breathe in their scent every now and then. She also had fun making the occasional design with the cream and froth if somebody was choosing to have their order in the café, rather than take it out with them. She was actually in the middle of making a leaf-like design with someone's coffee when Dani passed by a little too closely, nearly making Mel spill some of the drink. Mel narrowed her eyes in annoyance. 

"Ugh, Mel, go get this one. I'm not talking to that thing," she muttered as she busied herself by going to the back to pull out more bagels and croissants for the display case. She heard the muffled complaint of Josh at Dani's intrusion of his area in the back. 

Turning around as she finished the frothy design she saw how the first monster customer of the day was waiting off to the side of the counter, while most the other humans in line either ignored the monster or purposefully pushed ahead to get their order in sooner. Mel served the current customer whose drink she had just finished before pulling back for a moment as she bit her lip, observing. It was humanoid in appearance, but had one vertically oriented eye and a small horn poking out from its forehead. It was currently fiddling with its hands, which were only two fingers and thumbs, looking indecisive. 

Mel took a deep breath, let it out quickly, and side stepped so as to be standing across the counter from the monster. "Good morning. Anything I can help with?"

"Oh...yes, well, I'm not sure." The sound of the monster's voice told Mel that it was female. "I need a little something to wake me up, but nothing too strong."

"Alright, there's a few options you can go for, most of them being lattes."

"Well, what would you suggest?" She was tapping her claws together, likely due to how awkward she felt about her current situation. 

"From what you said, I'd likely go for the macchiato. It's mostly steamed milk with only a little bit of espresso on top. You can throw in some flavoring too if you like some added taste."

"A-alright, I'll have that. Thank you."

Mel gave a friendly smile and the appearance of it seemed to help the monster visibly relax. Once getting the monster's name she went about brewing her order. Josh was calmly handling a tray of fresh muffins while Dani refused to even look in the direction of the monster waiting for her drink as she went about handling the orders from the other humans. Mel pouted at the other girl's behavior but quickly pushed her disapproval down, putting on a face and making it look like it didn't bother her. She had other customers to get to.

• • •

Not long after Mel was starting work had Sans stretched and woke up from his comfortable sleep. He gave an enormous yawn before pressing the heels of his boney hands against the lids of his sockets and getting himself a little more awake. When his eyes opened up again the sockets were filled with their usual big, blue orbs. He already had plans for the morning, and he looked forward to fulfilling them. The first order of the day was returning the graciousness of Melanie by making a breakfast as delicious as the dinner she had served them the night before.

It was quiet in the apartment as the morning sky was still brightening with the rising sun. Thin, weak shafts of light filtered in through the windows, creating a soft glow around the window panes. The little skeleton assumed that, along with his brother, Melanie was sleeping soundly as he glanced upwards towards the loft. 

On the first pass into the kitchenette Sans didn't notice the note she had left behind. It wasn't until he pulled out the eggs and went about looking for the appropriate pan to fry them up in that he saw the tiny little square, its color a bright and stark contrast to the rest of the area. He tilted his head in slight confusion as he gently pulled the note off and read the message scribbled there. So, she was already gone? But, Sans had really wanted to make her breakfast! He made a sad, pouting face as his skull lowered a little into the blue bandana around his neck. Well, this was disappointing. 

"I know!" he blurted out as an idea came to him. "I shall prepare a magnificent lunch for her, instead! Mweheheh!"

At the sudden elevation of Sans' voice Papyrus snorted in his sleep, shifted about on the couch, but remained asleep. He'd end up staying asleep until around noon.

• • •

It was somewhere between the hours of one and two in the afternoon that Mel finally shuffled in through the door and returned to the comfort of her apartment. There were two distinct sounds that she heard when she entered. The first was that of the television as channels were quickly glanced at before blipping out for a moment to replace it with a different one. Papyrus was still comfortable on the couch, but actually awake and sitting up this time though the blankets he had used the night before were a heaping mess on the opposite end from where he sat. Had he moved off the couch at any point today? The second was that of movement in the kitchenette as the fridge and drawers were opened and closed.

"Greetings, human Melanie!" Sans said excitedly. He was the one in the kitchenette, and Mel saw how he had an apron covering his front, the same blue as parts of his usual wardrobe but also decorated with stars on the left corner of the fabric. She couldn't help but find his appearance quite adorable. "I found your note! I am most impressed that you woke up so early for work!"

"Yeah, I am too. I impress myself every time I manage to wake up," she replied as she slipped out of her shoes, her speech a little slurred due to her usual fatigue that came from having to work so early in the morning. She was ready for her usual nap right now.

"I meant to make breakfast as thank you for being so friendly and allowing us to move in, but you were already gone! So I, the magnificent Sans, have crafted you lunch instead!" Sans put his hands on his hips and let out his 'mweh heh heh' laugh, looking quite proud of himself. Oh jeez, he was getting even cuter by the minute. Or it was her tired brain getting easily swayed. A moment later his words finally registered.

"Wait, you made me lunch?"

"Of course, human Melanie!" Sans' grin stretched a little wider.

She had to admit, she wasn't expecting that. She figured that things would go back to normal--meaning wake up, work, nap, feed yourself--once she had roommates to help maintain rent, but she was getting the first thoughts that maybe her definition of 'normal' would need to change. And if this was how 'normal' was going to be for her for as long as she remained here with these two brothers then she wouldn't mind. 

She gave him a smile. "Thanks, Sans. What's for lunch?"

Lunch, apparently, was a special-made grilled ham and cheese sandwich that was stuffed with lettuce, tomato, a dash of pepper, and some slices of avocado. Wow, could the little guy make a mean sandwich! Mel couldn't help but wonder, as she happily bit into her food, what else Sans could cook up. She also couldn't help but entertain the idea of possibly cooking with him from time to time, like she had done on occasion with Kate. She always had the most fun with her former roommate whenever they decided to be silly and make cookie mixes from premade packages, sometimes combining flavors to see how they'd turn out. Chocolate chip mixed with oatmeal chocolate chip was always a good combo...

"How was it?!"

"As magnificent as you, Sans. Thanks," she replied smiling, her tummy contented. Those big blues for eyes became stars again at her compliment and Mel couldn't help but giggle at him. Then, with a stretch, she pulled away and made her way up towards the loft. "I usually take a nap after work, so I'm going to head up and do that. Thanks again for lunch, Sans," she added, resting her hand on top of his skull. His smile softened at her touch.

By the time Mel had dozed off Papyrus was up and sauntering about. Although he had been flipping through channels on the T.V. earlier, he hadn't been paying attention. Instead he had remained listening in on the exchange between her and Sans. Neither of the two noticed when he had slouched down a little more into the couch in relief and brotherly pride as Mel complimented Sans and his cooking ability. The girl really was genuine in her behavior and words towards the two of them, which made part of Papyrus want to knock himself on the skull for not having trusted his instinct with her sooner. Ah well. 

While his brother was distracted as he continued to pull out, sort, and organize his things from the move, Papyrus slowly, lazily, climbed up the stairs to the loft to glimpse at how Mel was doing. He had expected to see her napping snuggled in her bed, but that wasn't the case. She had a thin but fluffy looking blanket on top of her while she dozed on top of her not fully made bed, most of her face hidden within the plush of her pillow. From the angle he could see he could barely making out part of her face peeking out from under the fringe of her hair that framed her face. He quietly watched her for another few moments before turning around and going back down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	5. Brave Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many kudos! Oh my goodness, thank you so much everyone! ｡゜(｀Д´)゜｡

"Good morning, human Melanie!" 

Mel's eyes shot open as she yelped in surprise, flailing her limbs that were tangled under the sheets. Sans calmly stepped back at her reaction and waited for her to recover. When she did she stared at him with alert eyes, not used to being so rudely awakened from her sleep. He didn't seem all that surprised by her reaction and only continued to give her a broad smile.

A moment later Mel groaned as she rubbed her eyes and felt her heart slow down after registering the initial shock, the fight-or-flight reflex within her settling down. "Sans, what are you doing up so early?"

"I wanted to wish you a good morning! And wish you a good day at work before you left!"

She ran a hand absentmindedly through her hair as she looked at him in sleepy surprise. Kate had never purposefully woken up early enough to catch Mel before she had to head off to work, so the fact that Sans had gone out of his way to do so was unexpected. 

"You--Really?"

"Yes, really! Now if only we could get my lazybones of a brother to wake up early too!"

Mel gave a tired chuckle as she rolled out of bed and stretched, feeling her shoulders and spine pop quietly. "Yeah, if only," she replied. She then went about her usual routine of getting ready for work while Sans went back down to the main floor of the apartment and put together a quick breakfast for her to eat before running out the door. Neither knew that Papyrus had been half awake himself for over an hour, and quietly listened to the two before feeling himself slip back asleep a few minutes before Mel went out.

• • •

"No. No. Stop. I'll do it, get out of the way," Dani barked, pushing Mel aside and making the girl stumble.

"Hey, ease up," Mel retorted, narrowing her eyes at her co-worker.

Dani only gave the girl a sideways glance, her eyes cool. "I told you to get out of the way."

"You don't need to freaking shove me aside."

"Just go get the next guy's order. I'll finish this," was the reply Mel got. 

She bristled at being brushed aside like that, but kept control of her facial expressions as her jaw clenched. She only gave Dani a look of annoyance, hiding the fact that what she really felt was full on frustration and impatience. She was sure that Dani acted this way because she was far more tolerant of monsters, which made her less than the rest of human society apparently. But, she maintained her mask and went back towards the counter to attend to the patron waiting patiently.

That's how it was for most of the day: Dani asserting herself a little too much between Mel and Joshua as she would float between the front counter of the café and the back where the baked goods were assembled. The menu was fairly limited, but it was enough to have the usual crowd come through on a near daily basis, which made things easy for the trio up front to remember who liked what, which thus made the flow of work go along smoothly. The only time there were hiccups was whenever a monster would show up and Dani would go out of her way to keep her distance. 

"Dani, why do you keep doing that whenever a monster comes in?" Joshua asked during a lull in customers. Mel listened in as she was depositing used mugs from the tables into a large bin to bring to the dishwasher. "They're the nicest customers we have."

"I keep telling you people why," Dani replied in a snippy tone, brushing her blonde hair held in a ponytail off her shoulder. "They're weird. Some are just straight-up gross looking. You remember those _slimes_ that came through the other day? Ugh! They left a mess wherever they went!"

"And then you insisted I clean it because you wouldn't go near it," Joshua added, his own tone of voice rather tired. Mel could see by his expression that he was long done dealing with Dani's attitude. 

Dani shrugged, brushing off her co-worker's comment with a nonchalant air. Joshua simply sighed and went back to his previous task of replacing depleted quantities of the cafe's baked goods in the display case. He exchanged out some of the breakfast items for sandwiches and slices of simple cake since the time was already heading towards noon. 

"Speaking of cleaning, you need to hurry up Mel," the girl harped as she leaned back against the counter.

Mel said nothing, wanting to disregard her words but they still stung at her. True, they weren't in any way personal, but a part of Mel still disliked how her co-worker had such selfish, bigoted views on monsters. Dani had done her own disregarding of words by ignoring Joshua's statement about how nice monsters were. And it was true too. No matter the wait on their order monsters were the most patient; no matter the slip-up when it came to making something they were the most understanding and considerate; no matter the behavior of other human patrons monsters were the most compassionate, usually saying how maybe that particular person had a bad start to their day. 

Mel was reminded of Sans and Papyrus. The both of them didn't deserve to ever meet Dani and be exposed to her clear dislike of their kind. Sans was just too much of a sweetheart to be treated so poorly by the woman, while Papyrus was so laid-back--any moreso and he'd be comatose--that Mel didn't want to imagine him losing that relaxed expression on his skull. Then, her mind went to Papyrus and his poor sense of humor what with all the silly puns he would be able to throw out. Her expression softened at the thought of Sans' smile and Papyrus with his lazy smile, and a sucker hanging out from between his teeth.

"Mel! Hurry it up!" Dani barked again.

The order forcefully pulled her out of her thoughts and made her expression sour again. "I'm going, jeez," Mel replied as she held the bin to her hip and headed towards the back. While Dani kept her eyes narrowed on her co-worker, Mel chose to ignore her looks. 

So, unfortunately, the girl's day ended fairly poorly. More monsters had shown up towards the end of their shift to have lunch together and so the blonde went out of her way to dismiss them while harping on Mel to do everything else for her until they were gone. The entire time Mel maintained her brave face, quietly making herself think and believe that the words and actions against her and the friendly monsters didn't bother her. At this point, it was almost a subconscious reaction.

• • •

"I'm home," Mel said tiredly as she slipped inside and went through her usual routine of removing her shoes and dropping her bag by the stairs leading up to her loft.

"Hey Mel," came the low, casual reply from Papyrus. Mel looked over at the couch where he usually sat in surprise. She had expected the energetic call of Sans first.

"Oh, hey, Papyrus. Where's Sans?"

"He's out visiting a friend. Alphys. He'll be back later though." With a glance from over his shoulder he pointed back towards the kitchenette. "Bro left you lunch in the fridge. You're welcome."

She gave a tired chuckle and smiled at thought of Sans going about and making her something to eat the moment she walked through the door. "Thanks, Papyrus," she said as she went into the cooking area and opened the fridge to, indeed, find a plate of food with plastic wrap over it and multiple sticky notes plastered all over it. The writing was all large fitting only a few letters at a time. 

While she quietly ate, after having reheated her food, Papyrus shifted where he sat to watch her from a more comfortable position. There was a faint glow in his socket as his gaze penetrated further beyond her being and into the very depths of who she was. What he found within troubled him, as what he was looking at wasn't shining brightly like it should for a human like herself, but instead glowing dimly, flickering now and then like a single candle struggling to maintain itself from a breath of wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	6. Anime Night

Sans, Papyrus, and Mel fell into an easy routine between them as the days continued onward, steadily becoming a week, and then two. The routine usually consisted of Mel waking up too early for her liking, sometimes by Sans, eat breakfast, then head off to work. After work she'd have lunch with the brothers and take a nap, then spend the rest of her day doing whatever she pleased with Sans and Papyrus. There were times where Sans was out, hanging out with this Alphys person; other times it would be Papyrus, who she found out actually held a job or two, which surprised her. 

It was during one of these routine days, as she and Sans sat together while eating lunch since Papyrus was out for one of his jobs, that the little skeleton excitedly turned to her. 

"Human Melanie! I have invited Alphys and Undyne to come visit so we could have an anime night!"

Mel halted mid-chew to give a skeptical look. It wasn't the fact that he had invited not only Alphys, but somebody else, to stop by and spend some time in the apartment, but that it was for an 'anime night.' She knew at this point that Sans liked cartoons--he would usually watch the early morning ones after seeing Mel off to work--but the thought hadn't crossed her mind that monsters might like anime as well. 

"Oh, well...when did you invite them?" she asked after finishing her bite and swallowing.

"They're be here tomorrow! We must prepare for their arrival!"

Sans was always so enthusiastic and excited about anything, and it was contagious. She felt herself smile along with him in his anticipation. She also felt her own sense of excitement in meeting friends of his, the feeling pushing down the sprout of hesitation and nervousness before it could grow too large. "Well, what usually happens during anime night?"

"We all sit together and watch anime! And there's drinks and snacks, and lots of singing the songs that play at the beginning and the end!"

Mel snorted then quickly covered her mouth as if to try and hide any further sounds of amusement from coming out. So they sang along to the intro and outro of each episode? That she needed to see. "Sounds cool, Sans. How about you and me go the store tomorrow, after I come home from work, and we'll grab some snacks for it?"

Sans' big blue eyes shifted into star shapes. "Mweh heh heh! A magnificent plan! Alphys likes hard candies, but Undyne likes more chewable ones! Oh, and we always had popcorn, and chocolate, and--"

• • •

Mel was laughing in amusement as Sans was googly eyed with excitement as the two of them walked through the door, carrying bags of both regular groceries that they were running low on as well as the necessary sweets for the 'anime night' happening later in the evening. 

"Mweh heh heh! Brother, we return from a successful excursion to the grocery store!" Sans belted out as he struck a pose, positioning his arms as if he were flexing muscles. 

"Oh, hey bro. Hey Mel."

"Lazy day at work, Pap?" Mel asked as she placed her bags of groceries onto the edge of the island's counter where the other brother was currently sitting so that she could organize them. 'Pap' was a nickname Mel had given Papyrus a few days after the brothers had moved in, and he didn't seem to mind. 

"Nah, got a _skeleton_ of work done," he replied with a smirk.

"Worked yourself to the _bone_ , huh?" Mel snickered back.

"Don't you two start!" Sans yelled. The other two chuckled.

After she recovered from her amusement she pointed her finger in Papyrus' face, giving him a warning look yet was still smirking. He met her gaze unflinchingly. "Don't you dare snack on any of this stuff before Alphys and Undyne come." Mel had learned quickly how much of a sweet tooth Papyrus had in him. If he wasn't sucking on a lollipop he was popping some other kind of chocolate or bite sized treat. Rarely did she ever see him not munching on something. 

"You wound me, Mel. I have enough self-control to keep to my own stash."

"We'll see," she replied, gently poking his forehead. His own little smile softened at her touch. 

Mel still managed to get a small nap in during the afternoon before the guests arrived. However, unlike she usually did with taking a nap on her bed, she and Papyrus shared the two halves of the couch. She laid all balled up to one edge, using her bed pillow on the arm rest while Papyrus was lounging on the other end, more than half slouched into the cushions. Mel had fallen asleep without anything covering her, but when she woke up again she found one of the blankets he used draped over her.

When the appointed time came for the guests to arrive Mel was just finishing setting out the snacks, dumping a bag of popcorn into a nearly full bowl of the same salty, buttery goodness. Scattered around on the coffee table in front of the couch where everyone would sit were assortments of chocolate and various flavors of chips. The drinks were all still in the fridge to keep them refreshingly cool. It wasn't even five past the hour when there was banging on the door, making Mel jump. 

"That must be Alphys and Undyne! Worry not, human Melanie, I shall answer the door!" Sans called out in glee. 

He had barely opened it when a mustard yellow thing launched itself through the door and grabbed Sans in a tight embrace. Mel blinked as she saw how what was holding the little skeleton was actually a reptilian--or dinosaur-like--monster. Another monster, this time an interesting color contrast of blue and red, peeked their head shyly past the doorframe. 

"Sans, you hyperactive dork! Let's do this!" the yellow lizard bellowed. 

After a good squeeze with a few popping joints from Sans, Mel finally got a good look at the first monster. It was right around the same height as Sans, but more broad in shape. Mel saw where the scales thinned out to leather-like skin where she could see taut muscle moving with the monster's thick arms. Mel felt quite certain this monster could easily snap her in two. There was a distinct scar over one of its eyes as well, and a mouth full of sharp teeth as it grinned and guffawed. This had to be Alphys. 

By process of elimination the other figure was likely Undyne. She was taller than Mel, but just a hair short of matching Papyrus' own height. The blue of her skin made sense due to her fish-like appearance, having webbed hands and fins for ears that were currently drooped in what looked to be nervousness. Her bright red hair was pulled up into a messy bun, but the remaining bangs hung limply off to the side of her face, a few hairs getting stuck in her glasses. 

"A-Alphys, d-do try to be gentle. W-We don't w-want to leave a b-bad impression," Undyne stuttered. 

"Ah, he's fine," Alphys replied, giving a slap to Sans' back which nearly made him stumble forward. She then brought her one functioning eye onto Mel, who stiffened at her gaze, feeling her own nervousness rise again. "You the human Sans mentioned?" She gave a toothy grin. "I'm Alphys! This genius here is my girl, Undyne."

Mel took in a deep breath and pushed down her nervousness, letting her curiosity about the two new monsters hanging out in the apartment take over. With a smile she approached and brought her hand out to shake, which Alphys met with a firm--nearly crushing--grip. "That's me," she said. "I'm Mel. Nice to meet you two."

There was a moment of silence between the two of them as the lizard's eye narrowed slightly. Mel felt like she was being scrutinized. Alphys' gaze seemed like she was looking for something, though not necessarily on her, but perhaps past her. Mel was about to look both worried and confused when the monster's expression changed to a pleased one, giving the girl another broad grin. 

"I like you already. You got a good color to you."

Now Mel really was confused as Sans brought the two further into the apartment, showing them the television and the assortment of snacks already set out. She watched as the trio talked between each other, well, mostly between Alphys and Sans, while Undyne piped in here and there and settled themselves on the couch for an evening of entertainment. 

"A good color?"

• • •

Sans really had meant it when he said that they sing along with the intro and outro. Alphys and Undyne were quite enthusiastic as they did so with each new episode they watched, engrossed in the developing story of the anime they were currently watching. It was entertaining to see a brawny lizard and a shy, lanky fish dance along to the tune as they, and Sans, practically screamed the lyrics. And all in Japanese. 

Mel sat off to the side on the steps leading up to her loft as she watched them in amusement. She wasn't one to really watch anime as she preferred watching crime shows on Netflix. Her favorites were the various iterations of CSI. Though, watching the trio of monsters as they watched each episode did give the idea that maybe, watching with them, would be fun. She played with the idea of possibly singing along with them, and chuckled to herself as she realized she'd flub over the words more often than not. 

"Hey Mel. Looks like you're having a good time over here, maybe I'll join you."

"Oh, hey Papyrus," she replied, still smiling in amusement at her own thoughts. "Take a seat." He did so. In fact, he sat himself down on the same step as Mel and leaned back into the higher steps up as he too watched Sans, Alphys, and Undyne enjoy themselves. 

"Not much for anime, huh?"

"Nah. Though, I could suggest some old cartoons and movies I used to watch when I was a kid. They might like that."

"Go ahead. I'm sure they'll take any suggestions you have."

"You'd watch with all of us, right?"

"Maybe. Might end up sleeping through it, though," he replied with a wink and a playful smirk.

"Pfft. You're such a lazybones," she said, chuckling as she gave him a playful shove to his shoulder. 

"That's me."

"Shameless." Both remained smirking at each other until they wound up chuckling at their own silliness. The moment slowly passed between them as they regained themselves, quietly watching the trio who were now fully engrossed in the latest episode. Well, there was the occasional outburst from Alphys about what a character on screen should have done as opposed to what they did a moment ago. Mel leaned forward as she watched them, elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. 

"Papyrus..."

"Yeah?"

"Earlier...Alphys gave me a long look and then said that I had a good color to me. What did she mean by that? Do you know?" she asked, turning her head to look towards the lanky skeleton. 

Papyrus didn't meet her gaze. Mel thought she saw part of his skull change color to match his hoodie, but brushed it off as an effect of the evening sun as it filtered in through the sliding doors between the living room and balcony. It really was a pretty sunset as the sky was layered with the colors of orange, pink, purple, and then dark blue.

"I, uh...Now's not really a good time to ask that. I'll tell you later, okay?"

For the second time in the same night Mel was quite confused. First because of Alphys' comment which left her wondering what she meant about color; second because of Papyrus' reluctance to talk about it. But, he did say he'd tell her later, so despite her curiosity she let it go and let herself focus on the party of three continue to enjoy themselves. Undyne was currently squealing over something the current love interest had said to the heroine. 

Every now and then she'd glance to the side to look at Papyrus. She had a feeling he was doing the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	7. Naptime Buddies

Mel stretched and yawned as another customer walked out with their cup of coffee, leaving the cafe quite sparse with only one other person still hanging around. Said person was sitting off to the side at one of the tables engrossed in whatever it was they were doing on their tablet, their own mug of coffee long reduced to dregs and set off to the side. She was definitely looking forward to making it home, having lunch, and then taking her usual nap. There were times she swore her drooping eyelids felt as heavy as the rest of her body, tempting her to pause for a minute or two and doze. 

But, that temptation was always taken away by Dani, who seemed quite alert when it came to Mel's fatigue. Anytime Mel would pause long enough to let her eyelids drop she'd soon feel a slap to the back of her head or her shoulder, the shock of pain startling her awake again until the rush eventually dissolved and she was left feeling sleepy again. 

"Keep working," Dani said after giving another smack to Mel's shoulder for good measure. Mel's expression became stoic as she gave a cold, sideways glance to her co-worker. Just one would have been more than sufficient. And who was she to tell her to keep working? Dani was working less and less the more often monsters stopped by and instead taking unnecessary breaks until said monsters left. 

She said nothing in reply, shook her head as if to shake away the feeling of fatigue, and resume her current task anyway. At this point all she was doing as busying herself until she could clock out and head home. The café would remain rather quiet for a few hours after her shift and only pick back up towards the evening when the last rush of people heading home from work would stop by searching for their one last shot of coffee to keep them awake before the evening fully set in.

• • •

Mel yawned at the same time as she opened the door to the apartment and slipped through. It was quiet inside so she figured that Sans was out again, otherwise he would have met her with startling enthusiasm as he would ask about her day at work before going off on what he had done while she was away.

"Hey Mel," said Papyrus from his usual spot on the couch. 

"Hey Pap," she replied tiredly, yawning again as she looked between the fridge and microwave to find the lunch that Sans no doubt left for her to have once she came home. Sure enough, sitting on a plate in the microwave, covered by another plate, was her lunch. Once the extra plate was removed the meal of the day was revealed to be some sort of pasta dish that she recognized. From the looks of it Sans managed to recreate her pizza pasta recipe she had made when they first moved in. She gave a little smile at both the food in front of her and the memory.

"You sound particularly tired," he commented as he leaned his skull back on the arm of the couch to get a better look at her. 

"I am," she replied as she rubbed her eyes then ran her fingers through her hair. "Just one of those days, you know? I'm so ready to sleep."

"Hmm." She didn't notice, but Papyrus kept a watchful eye on her as she moved about the kitchenette. 

There was a long pause of silence between them as Mel waited for the microwave to finish reheating the pasta and then went about eating it. From the taste Sans managed to made a few flavorful additions to the original recipe she used, making her enjoy the food all the more. Part of her wondered if there were leftovers still in the fridge, hidden away somewhere. If there were she entertained the idea of raiding what was left for dinner as well. 

With lunch finished and the used plates quickly rinsed off, then set into the sink to be cleaned later, Mel shuffled towards the stairwell up to the loft. But, as she was passing by the couch she heard Papyrus speak up again, causing her to stop and look down at him from over the edge of it.

"C'mere Mel," he said, extending his hand out to her. "I was thinking about taking a nap myself." He smirked at her with half-lidded sockets. 

Mel snorted. "You're always napping, Pap." The two watched each other for another moment before she sighed and made her way around the couch. "Whatever. I'm too tired to argue." 

Papyrus was on his back, stretched out over the length of the couch and only made minimal effort to make room for the girl as she found a place to sit down first then slowly rest herself down on her side. The result was the two of them being rather snuggled close together, but Mel didn't seem to mind too much as she found herself in a comfortable spot wedged between the back of the couch's cushions and Papyrus' side. It was interesting how it felt like he had an actual form beneath his hoodie--lean and lanky like the rest of his bone structure. For a brief moment Mel imagined him having a physique similar to a tall, albeit stereotypical, nerd or geek. 

She rested on her side, both of her arms tucked up towards her chest while her head was nestled just above his shoulder joint. As she relaxed she couldn't help but also notice the distinct smell from his clothes. He smelled sweet like the candy he constantly consumed, but there was also a hint of something else she couldn't place right then. It was a richer scent that made her want to breathe it in deeply. Once settled she smiled at how comfortable she was, and it remained there as she felt Papyrus shift just enough to drape one of his blankets over them. 

"Thanks Pap," she said softly as she let herself drift off. 

She never noticed how Papyrus' own expression eased once she had gotten comfortable. His smile became more genuine as he watched her snuggle between himself and the couch, relaxing into him. He could feel the movement of her chest expanding and contracting as she breathed, and the warmth of her body as it seeped into his bones. Part of him was grateful that she couldn't see the faint orange glow appearing across his cheekbones as he watched her. He felt the urge to rest his hand on her head or her shoulder but he pushed it aside for the time being and simply let the arm she was resting against drop and remain free of holding onto anything, his phalanges curling slightly as he too relaxed. 

"Anytime."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	8. Today's Lunch Special Is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who leaves a kudos or comment to this story! ;u; It touches me that there's anyone out there who likes this nonsense I write...

It was one of the few times were the apartment was actually empty of all three inhabitants. Mel was, as usual, out working and wouldn't be back for another little while. Sans wanted to head out for a while but still be back before she returned so that they could enjoy lunch together, and the little skeleton would not have his brother laze about all day today. So, by all means possible--which included whining, nagging, and pleading--Sans got Papyrus to accompany him.

It was a nice day too, which was a plus. There was only some cloud cover, which occasionally passed over the sun and thus helped to create momentary shade from the light and heat. Monsters and humans were out and about enjoying the warm air as they walked around the general area of shops and stores, some walking by themselves others in close-knit clusters as any passer-by caught little snippets of conversation before moving on. Sans happily strode along, giving his usual broad smile to any who met his eyes while Papyrus sauntered along a step or two behind as he glanced around now and then with his own half-lidded sockets. 

"Anything else, bro? Mel should be getting home soon," Papyrus said. The two had mostly done some window shopping, Sans spending a few minutes oggling at what was inside. His boundless energy brought them around the entire outdoor mall where they had gone to visit, coming to a near full circle from where they started that morning. 

"No, that is everything! And--Human Melanie!" 

"Wha--"

"Brother, it's human Melanie!" Sans said excitedly, his skull smooshing against the glass of a café window. 

Papyrus took a glance inside, and indeed, there was Mel behind the counter, finishing up a large mug of some drink before carefully striding through the store towards a table to serve the customer their drink. He glanced up to look at the name of the place etched into the glass, recognizing the name as the same that Mel had mentioned now and then. The two brothers were familiar with the name but neither ever had a chance yet to visit. Looks like that opportunity was finally here.

"Come along, Papyrus! Let us say hello!"

"Heh. Sure thing, bro," he replied with a lazy smile, but it faltered the moment the two walked in and he caught sight of how Mel looked.

When not engaging with a patron somewhere in the store he noticed how blank her expression was. A quick glimpse into her, his socket faintly glowing, and he noticed the faint and flickering color of her being. It still wasn't a bright as it should be in comparison to the other humans around her and it worried him. Some of that worry was relieved, however, when it saw the dim light within her suddenly flash brighter when she noticed them at the café doors. 

"Sans! Papyrus!" she greeted cheerfully, her smile matching the illumination he saw within her chest. 

"Human Melanie!" Sans greeted in return, giving her a hug and nearly pulling her off her feet as he leaned back into the embrace.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We were out and about, and we wound up passing by," Papyrus replied. "You're off soon, right? Why don't we all get something to eat for lunch once you're clocked out?" Sans was already nodding his head in anticipation, liking the idea of the three of them enjoying a meal together. 

"Sounds great, Pap. You two can go check out other shops and wait, or stick around here for a little bit, if you want t--"

"Mel!" came a feminine voice from behind the counter. Papyrus glanced up and looked into the face of a blonde haired girl who gave him a look like she was having to deal with stinking trash and looked away to do something else. 

"I'm coming!" Mel replied, glancing quickly at the other girl before looking back to the skeleton brothers. 

"We'll just stick around, and then leave together when you're off," said Papyrus. 

"Magnificent plan!" Sans piped up. "We await you to finish your work, human Melanie!"

The girl smiled. "Mel! Stop wasting time!" barked the blonde again making Mel's smile diminish ever so slightly, but Papyrus noticed. He also noticed the light within her dim once again and remain that way. 

"Alright, I'm coming! Go find a seat. I'll come back when I'm off, okay?" she said, trying to mimic the smile she gave earlier but the elder brother saw through it. Even so, he nodded and watched as she trotted towards the back and into the presence of her co-worker who did more than a good job at keeping Mel looking stoic. 

"Papyrus..." Sans said quietly, looking worried when he and his brother were seated. "Melanie looks..."

"I know, bro. I saw too."

It was disheartening to see her go around the place, the glow within her flickering from time to time. It brightened on occasion and Papyrus would feel himself ease at the sight of that, but once made to return behind the counter and thus around the blonde he watched it go dim once more. His phalanges clenched into fists in his hoodie pocket as he watched the murky color of Mel's co-worker's own light flare which would force Mel's own to darken. He made sure to keep a glare in the blonde's direction until their gazes met. When they did the girl gave him a haughty look, unfazed by his expression and looking down at him from her nose as if he belonged under her shoe. As much as he would have liked to do something to make that girl regret acting the way she was he remained slouched in his seat, for Mel's sake. 

Once she was clocked out and heading out the door with both brothers on either side of her Mel remained acting as though there had been nothing wrong during the last half hour of her shift. But, neither brother were convinced. 

"Are you alright, human Melanie?!" Sans asked. "You look tired!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Long day, you know?" she said as she brushed one hand through her hair. "So, where to? I'm hungry."

As the three walked side-by-side, Papyrus reached behind her and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. She subconsciously shifted ever so slightly closer to him at that, which made one corner of his smirk rise into a more genuine smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda short chapter, sorry guys. Maybe I'll add a tag mentioning varying chapter lengths...
> 
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	9. What Bravery Means

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a gander at [ min-play's ](http://min-play.tumblr.com/) tumblr, especially their [ art stuff ](http://min-play.tumblr.com/tagged/min-draw), which has a bunch of adorable Underswap fanart. Seriously, their style for Sans and Papyrus is too cute. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

"Thanks again for lunch, guys. It was great," Mel said as the three of them walked in to the apartment. 

Sans, with his usual excitement, bounded towards the kitchenette as he talked to himself about what he would possibly make for dinner later on that night. Both Mel and Papyrus could hear him mention what was possible as he looked through the cabinets and the fridge. He also suggested that both he and Mel cook together later, and Mel was quick to accept the offer. 

Afterwards, Mel went about her usual routine of getting ready for a nap--dropping her bag near the foot of the stairs, removing her shoes from her feet, and beginning her ascent to her loft where she'd grab her fluffy blanket and crash on top of her bed. Papyrus, however, remained close and looked up at her as she was climbing up the stairs, making her pause and look down at him in return.

"Mel, you sure you're okay?" he asked, looking concerned. "You don't look so good."

Mel chewed on her lip, her eyes glancing off to the side for an instant before looking back to him. "I'm fine, Pap. I'm just tired. You know how it is when it's just one of those days, yeah? I just..." The more she spoke the more she looked away from him again, running her fingers through her hair. "I just need to rest for a little bit. I'll be fine."

Papyrus said nothing more as he watched her head up the rest of the stairs and reach her loft area. Part of him could understand why she was acting the way she was, since he had behaved similarly time and again while monsters were still underground. But, the other part of him didn't like seeing her do that to herself. He knew that she was trying to keep a brave face through what she was experiencing, but it wasn't the kind she needed to truly have her light within her shine bright as it should. He wasn't going to keep letting her brush things off. As quick as a blink he vanished from where he stood.

She sighed as she opened the wardrobe door with the intent to reach up and grab her blanket, but was startled when she felt a presence behind her. A moment later a skeletal hand clothed in orange reached from behind her and closed the door gently, and then remained pressed there. Mel's shoulders tensed as she felt Papyrus lean down towards the back of her head and felt his breath on her ear.

"Don't lie to me, Mel," he said softly, yet sternly. 

"I'm fine, Papyrus. Really," she insisted as she turned around to look up at him, to make herself seem brave again. "I just--ah!"

Mel's hands went up to the middle of her chest as a dimly lit, orange colored heart was drawn out of her. It looked like it should have been a far brighter shade of color yet was flickering like a light struggling to stay lit before it suddenly burned out. Her dark eyes widened in both surprise and wonder at the sight of it, and then shivered a moment later as she suddenly felt completely exposed. The little heart hovered gently in the air above Papyrus' open palm. _Her soul_. The look of care and concern on his face seemed all the more intense to her with the little heart illuminating it faintly, making her bring her hands up to her mouth to try and keep any sound from escaping it. And, she felt her face steadily heat up. 

"It shouldn't be this dim," he murmured. Papyrus took a step closer towards her and touched his forehead to hers looking at her with the same degree of care and concern as her soul still cradled in his hand. "C'mon Mel...talk to me."

Whatever deflecting she felt she could try before seemed pointless now with the very essence of herself exposed to him like this. She wrung her hands and brought her eyes down, keeping her focus on her soul rather than on the skeleton's face. She couldn't bring herself to keep eye contact with him; it only made her feel all the more embarrassed, knowing that he had seen through her and how he looked at her like that.

"I-it's hard sometimes," she started. "Dani, my co-worker, the other girl there...she's just so rude and harsh to monsters or anyone that's nice to monsters. I...I can't let her know it gets to me, so I make it look like it doesn't bother me at all, but she still keeps acting the way she does. It hurts to see such sweet people treated like that by her. I...I thought I was--"

"--trying to be brave," Papyrus finished for her. Sliding his hand still pressing against the wardrobe door he reached under her chin and gave her a gentle nudge to make her look up. Her eyes, however, remained looking away. "Mel, look at me." When her eyes finally did lock onto his own he rested his unoccupied hand on her shoulder. 

"You have a brave soul. That's what this orange color means. But, what you've been doing isn't the kind of bravery you're meant to show. But I can't tell you what being brave should be for you, that's something you need to answer yourself." He let her soul go and watched it as it returned to where it's meant to be when exposed, floating just in front of her chest, softly illuminating the space between them. "I don't expect you to answer this question right away, so take some time to think on it: what does bravery mean to you?"

"What bravery means to me..." she repeated in a whisper as she tilted her head down to look at her soul. The dim glow wasn't even enough to reflect in her eyes. 

A moment of contemplative silence passed between them, Mel looking at her soul thoughtfully while Papyrus quietly watched her. Eventually he gently made the little heart return to whence it came within the girl which made the soft orange glow fade away and return the light around them to normal. Once it was back where it belonged his hand slid further up along her and rested on the side of her neck while his forehead remained resting atop her own as it had been for some time now. 

"You had Sans and me worried," he said.

"Wha--Sans too? But I thought..."

"He's more observant than you think. He's just stubbornly optimistic."

At that moment Mel looked to the side, and sure enough, there was Sans at the base of the stairwell leading up to the loft, looking up at them with a worried expression on his usually happy face. She felt her heart drop at the sight, unused to seeing him like that. Even though the words 'I'm sorry' were barely more than a whisper it seemed enough for the little skeleton as he quickly climbed up the stairs and embraced her. 

"Mweh...Don't be sad anymore, Melanie...We want you to be happy! We want you to be brave!"

Papyrus joined in the group hug, wrapping his arm behind her, as Mel reached her arms around them both and held them close. "Me too, Sans. I'm sorry. I'll try to be brave, for real this time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	10. Where?

Mel's hand whipped out from under her pillow the instant her ears registered the sound of her alarm going off, making it go to snooze before she rolled to the side and turned the alarm off entirely. She stretched, rubbed her eyes, and ran her fingers through her hair as she sat up and forced herself to awaken more so that she could get ready for another day of work. As usual, it was still dark as night outside, but by six o'clock the beginning rays of sunshine would peek from beyond the horizon and bring in a new morning. 

She went about her usual routine of getting ready, heading down the stairs to grab her bag and eat a quick breakfast but something was off in the apartment that made her stop in the middle of her descent and look at the anomaly curiously. 

Papyrus was gone. 

Up until this point she always saw him sleeping away, half dangling off the couch, but today there was no sign of him. The blanket that usually covered him was folded over the same way it would be when someone rolls out of bed. So, he had fallen asleep at some point but then woke up in the middle of the night? With her brows furrowed in confusion as well as concern she leaned over the rail of the stairs to try and get a glimpse of the bathroom door. It wasn't closed and the light wasn't on, so he wasn't in there for one reason or another. She even took a moment to check in Sans' room, but found it devoid of Papyrus as well. 

Like she had done the first day she went off to work after the brothers moved in Mel decided to write a note. Once the message of concern was quickly scribbled down she left it sitting on his pillow, hoping that he'd find it whenever he decided to show up again.

_Noticed you were gone when I woke up. I hope you're okay. See you after work._

_\- Mel_

As she was about to head out the door she gave the empty couch one last look, then readjusted her bag hanging on her shoulder, and walked out.

"Where could he be?"

• • •

The worry continued to linger her mind as she went about work. Why had he been up at that hour? Where had he disappeared to? Would he return before Sans woke up? Mel didn't want to imagine the look of worry on the little guy's skull upon waking up to an empty apartment when it was only Mel herself that he was used to missing in the morning.

Her lingering thoughts on Papyrus' well-being and whereabouts brought about her remembering the question that he left her the day before: what did bravery mean to her? She had seen, for the first time, the very essence of her being as it was cradled gently, carefully, in Papyrus' long and lanky fingers. Mel felt her face heat up as her cheeks tinted pink at the memory of him holding her soul and looking at it--at her--with such a gentle expression. The dim, orange glow softly illuminating the space between them, reflecting the naturally brave person she was meant to be. 

The thoughts running through her head were enough to distract her from Dani's usually rude and bossy behavior. She was more focused on figuring out her own definition of bravery than her co-worker's attempts at bringing back attitudes from the nineteen-fifties and sixties. And because her focus was elsewhere it seemed to bother Dani enough to go out of her way to really get at Mel. But, unlike previous attempts to bother the brunette, who would usually put her brave face on and try to deal with it, Dani got a hard sideways glare from Mel. It was the first sign that Mel wasn't going to be so easy to push around. 

"What's gotten into you?" Dani asked tersely. "You're more absent-minded than usual."

"I've got something important on my mind right now, okay? Leave me alone," Mel snapped back, startling the blonde.

"Jeez, don't bite my head off."

"Hypocrite," Mel muttered, her tone of voice blunt.

"What?"

But Dani didn't get a reply from that as Mel turned back towards the front of the counter and greeted another customer with the same cordial smile she gave any and all that came in. It happened to be another monster which made Dani's shoulders rise as she made a face and disappeared through the door leading into the bakery of the café. When Mel turned around to get started on the monster's order she caught sight of the last weak swings of the door, noticing the other girl's absence. Mel said nothing as she shook her head as her thoughts on her co-worker turned in a different direction.

Dani wasn't just rude...she was a coward.

• • •

"Welcome home, human Melanie!" Sans said excitedly, his big blues brightening upon seeing the girl step through the door.

"Hey Sans. Good day so far?"

"Yes! I did my morning routine shortly after I woke up, then I had breakfast, watched some cartoons, and then cleaned the apartment!"

Mel smiled, giving the little skeleton a hug as she entered the kitchenette to find her usual lunch. "No wonder the place looks great. Thanks a bunch, Sans."

"It was nothing! For there is nothing that I, the Magnificent Sans, cannot achieve!"

She placed her plate of food in the microwave and went about reheating it. While she waited she went over to the couch and leaned over the back of it to have her face side-by-side with Papyrus' own, whom she noticed sitting where he usually was when she came in. "Hey, Pap," she said softly, her brows creasing in concern as she looked at him. 

"Hey Mel. Saw your note," he replied. She could tell that he seemed genuinely tired in comparison to his usually lazy, laid-back appearance. He looked like he was going to nod off at any minute and leave his head drooping against his chest. 

"You doing okay?" she asked, her voice still soft.

Papyrus slouched a little more into the couch, propping one foot up onto the edge of the coffee table in front of it. "Yeah. I couldn't sleep, was all, so I went out for a little bit."

"In the middle of the night? That's not really the safest thing to do, Pap."

"Nothing happened. It's fine."

He wouldn't meet her gaze, which only made her already worried expression deepen. She didn't like the way he sounded when he answered her, like he was trying to deflect attention from him. Or, like he was trying to avoid mentioning something if Mel started asking. As much as she didn't like it she didn't push the matter either. And, if she could have seen it herself, she would have noticed a sudden flare of orange from herself when she reached her arms around Papyrus' neck and gave him a loose hug as she rested her cheek on his head. 

"I'm glad you came back okay," she whispered. "I was worried."

A streak of orange began to steadily grow brighter across his cheekbones the longer her arms remained wrapped around him, and his phalanges fidgeted nervously in the pocket of his hoodie. He felt his soul pulse within him, making the magic holding him together course stronger through him. 

"Sorry Mel," he replied, his own voice softening to match hers. 

"Just...let me know where you've gone next time, okay?" she asked. 

"Okay."

It wasn't until the beep of the microwave, signaling the successful reheating of her food thus making it ready to eat again that Mel pulled away. The glow across Papyrus' face lingered even longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	11. His Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listened to [ Rata Novus ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvt3u3Yxjbo) from Guild Wars 2 while writing this. Have a listen while you read, if you want.

The rest of the evening passed as usual, though Mel would occasionally glance at Papyrus and find that he too would be glancing at her. The look in her eyes held a faint hope that he would open up a little more to her and tell her where he had gone the night before, but he never made any further mention of the subject, so once again she had to let the topic go and wait. 

Sans was the first to go to bed this time since Mel didn't have work the following day, finally getting the first of two usual days she could rest and get anything else she needed done when she wasn't occupied with serving coffees, or cakes, or muffins from morning until lunch. But, shortly after Sans was sent to bed Mel was next of the three to go to sleep since she had opted to remain awake and pass on her usual nap that she took after work. Papyrus, as usual, was the last to drift off. 

She must not have been that deeply asleep when it happened but she noticed flickering lights through her closed eyelids. A moment later and her ears heard the sound of near ceaseless creaking and ruffling that was distinctly coming from the couch. Slowly pulling herself up to a sitting position and rubbing her eyes Mel blearily noticed that same flickering light, orange in color like that of Papyrus' hoodie, moving about the room erratically. With her mind still half fogged over with sleep she went over to the railing of the loft and looked down at the couch so she could see down onto the lower floor better.

Through the sounds of the couch creaking and the fabric rustling Mel heard the skeleton's uneven breathing. It was as if he were struggling through something. He twitched and squirmed about on the couch, causing a mess of the couch cushions and the blanket that was about to fall off his form and onto the floor. And, through one of his closed sockets she could see the source of that orange light seeping out in slow, ghostly tendrils like an unnatural flame. 

"Pap...?"

Mel felt her heart begin to beat a little harder within her chest, a sensation of fear pricking into her chest like a surgeon's needle as she slowly, softly, descended the stairs in the worry that if she made too much noise she'd startle him awake and cause some kind of ruckus. She knew she didn't want to accidentally wake Sans in an attempt to calm his brother from whatever he was suffering from. With the same slow, careful steps as when she descended the stairs she approached the couch while she kept her eyes focused on him as he continued to twitch. 

"Papyrus...?" Her voice was still too soft, but still she felt hesitant to speak louder.

She was hovering over him now, fidgeting back and forth on her feet and twiddling her fingers in uncertainty as to what to do to possibly help him. She thought she could see beads of sweat sliding down his skull and onto the pillow below his head, and the light behind his socket flared occasionally, in sync with a particularly strong thrash from his body as if he were struggling against something physical before him.

Mel pursed her lips and took in a deep breath to steel herself for what she was about to do next. She had only a faint idea as to how things would turn out but she hoped it would be for the best. As his hands twitched in front of his chest Mel reached out and grasped them, shaking them gently up and down, unsettling his erratic rhythm with them previously.

"Papyrus...Papyrus, wake up..."

He subconsciously gripped at her hands making her fingers hurt a bit with how tightly he suddenly clung to them. Even so she bore through the pain in her fingers and kept her focus on him. Though a twinge of fear still lingered, steadily weighing heavier in her chest the longer she failed at rousing him from his sleep, there was a look of resolution in her eyes that blended seamlessly with the worried expression still on her face. She gripped his boney hands harder. 

"Papyrus."

He clung to her hands like a lifeline, like they were the only thing keeping him steady as his unconscious mind struggled through the visions that flashed through his head. She noticed the glow in his socket flare again then flicker like a failing bulb. She brought herself closer to his face, sitting down on the very edge of the couch's cushions and leaning over him. 

"Papyrus, wake up. Papyrus!"

The skeleton's eyes opened suddenly as he gasped, momentarily blinding Mel with a sudden flash of orange colored light. She had to screw her eyes shut for a moment before daring to open them again and look down at him in concern. His breathing was still uneven and his head swiveled slightly back and forth as he quickly took in his surroundings.

"It's okay, it's okay. It's me, Mel."

"Mel," he whispered back, staring straight at her briefly. With his gaze still on her he heaved a sigh and visibly relaxed, sinking into the cushions while his grip on her hands eased but didn't let go entirely. "Mel..."

"You were having a bad dream. It's alright," she said, her voice soft and hopefully comforting to help him further ease past the tension he had just gone through. He still seemed somewhat dazed, however.

"Yeah...yeah, it's alright." 

Mel swallowed and felt her face begin to warm up, hoping that the fading orange light in his socket hid the blush she felt coming into her cheeks as he kept staring up at her. It was a curious kind of stare he held with her, as if he were trying to memorize every detail he could make out in the darkness, as if he were trying to ground himself with the vision of her as his hands had done with the physical grounding of her touch. 

Eventually Mel brought her eyes away, though Papyrus' own never stopped watching her, and climbed over him to settle herself between him and the back cushions of the couch like she had done before. He startled at the action, tensing and remaining that way as Mel got comfortable, then reached over him and pulled the blanket back to where it belonged and covered the both of them beneath it.

"Mel?"

"I'm staying." She didn't look up at him, still feeling like her face was burning at the realization of what she was doing. She rested her head on his chest, which still oddly felt like a human male chest through the flimsy tee he wore as a nightshirt, and draped her arm across his body. She hoped that the gesture was enough to tell him that he was safe, despite what bad dreams or nightmares may came. "Get some sleep, Pap. I'm here."

Slowly he began to relax. One arm draped across his body as well, resting on top of her own while his other slid behind her back and his hand curved over to fit the shape of her shoulder. With another long, quiet sigh his head leaned back into his pillow and he allowed his eyes to close once more. 

"Thanks," he managed to whisper before the both of them fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	12. Taco Tuesday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is entirely too cute. ಠ_ಠ

Before Kate moved out Mel had the most fun with her roommate on days whenever they randomly decided to make cookies, which would happen almost any day of the week. Sometimes it would happen one day after the other until their bag mixes of the stuff finally disappeared, after which they would soon find themselves at the store and just happen to come back with a few more bags of cookie mix for another day.

After the skeleton brothers moved in Mel began to look forward to, and enjoy, the strictly adhered to Taco Tuesday. The first few times it was just Sans cooking up and serving everything necessary for the designated meal of the day, but soon after Mel joined in and helped where she could in order to make the overall task of preparation easier on him. By this point between the three of them Taco Tuesday was now something of a weekly ordeal as they gradually became more and more outrageous in their ideas of what should occur on said day. 

Like right now. Sans and Mel were shimmying between each other whenever they needed to maneuver around the kitchenette all the while listening to mariachi music from Mel's phone as they went about cooking and chopping and arranging the food. Papyrus sat at the island, slouching over the counter there and smiling in amusement as he watched the two try to imitate some kind of dance fitting of the music they were currently listening to. The girl had even managed to find an overly decorated sombrero at a party store, but could never convince Papyrus to wear it since all he did was sit around and wait for the food to be ready to eat. Even so, she had a laugh when Sans happily volunteered to wear the hat one time, despite the fact that it was too big for him and easily covered half his face under it, leaving only his wide grin visible. 

The hat, this time, currently sat occupying one of the empty stools next to Papyrus. The apartment was filled with noise, and not just from the sound of cooking and the music from its small source, but also three varieties of laughter from the three inhabitants. Sans' loud, energetic 'mweh heh heh' blended well with the softer, more chuckle-like 'heh' from Papyrus while Mel's open mouthed 'hah's rang above the other two like a descant. The laughter escalated when little Sans grabbed at Mel's hands and attempted to have her spin around. She had to duck under their arms in order to achieve the movement, but they managed to pull it off. 

Once the food was ready and served onto the three individual plates the three would all sit together to eat and occasionally talk about something through mouthfuls of meat, veggies, and savory sauce. Sometimes the three sat in a line along the island counter, but this time they were lounging on the couch which Papyrus managed to neaten up enough so that it didn't look like it was constantly slept on. 

"--so there was this party happening in the building next to us, right?" Mel said as she went along with a story she had begun a few minutes prior, pointing to the side to indicate which apartment building she meant. "They were being so noisy that Kate and I could hear it from here!"

"Mweh! How rude!" Sans piped up.

"Yeah, no kidding," Mel affirmed. "Anyway, I had this crazy idea to get their attention, because shouting wasn't going to do any good." A devious little smile appeared on her mouth as she recalled how things went. "I went to the fridge and pulled out our egg carton and started throwing what eggs we had left over to their balcony."

Papyrus snorted. Sans, however, gave a disapproving look at the girl. She gave a shrug and a half-guilty smile, because, hey, nothing she could do about it now to make it better. 

"Kate joined me after I threw the first one. We thought they were going to freak out over it."

"What did they do?" Papyrus asked, entirely amused at the story.

"One guy slipped inside the place then came back out with his own carton and started throwing eggs back at us!"

The mental image was too much for him to contain himself: two girls lobbing cold eggs from the fridge through the air and into a crowd of people, then that same crowd of people grabbing at their own eggs and throwing them back. Papyrus snorted again, which turned into a full laugh--a sound that Mel had never heard before. His chuckles were usually low and lingered in the air briefly before fading away. This, however, was a bright sound of laughter that rang out like her own laughter from earlier as he let out a nasal-y 'nyeh heh heh.' Mel had to lower her plate onto her lap and gawk at him in wonder at the sound, while Sans' previously disapproving expression also changed to pure glee as his eyes turned into stars at hearing his brother genuinely laugh again. 

One glance at the two of them was enough to get him to realize what just happened. With a sudden burst of orange appearing across his skull Papyrus quickly halted his laughter with a few rough coughs as he clapped a hand over his mouth. 

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Papyrus, are you... _embarrassed_ by your own laugh?" Mel asked, a wide grin on her face while she continued to look at him in wonder. The orange glow on his face intensified as he slouched a little more into the couch and turned his head away. She giggled at his reaction and leaned to the side so that her forehead rested on his shoulder. "It's cute, Pap. I like it." Papyrus only made some kind of strangled sound in his throat in reply.

His mouth was kept firmly shut for the rest of the evening, though he did manage to smirk and smile from time to time as he recovered from his embarrassment. Mel would just smile at him or giggle-snort when she looked at him, likely remembering the sound of his laugh and his reaction to her hearing it. Those sounds of her amusement would make his cheekbones softly glow again. As much as she liked the sound of his laugh, he liked the sound of hers more. 

After dinner things passed normally between the three. Mel helped to clean up the cooking areas and the dirty dishes so that the brothers would go about their nightly routine of Papyrus reading Sans a story before bed. With the door cracked open she could hear the occasional passage as the elder brother read. From the sounds of things they had started a new book to read, and it sounded like the start of the Harry Potter series. She knew Sans would be entertained with that story for a long while to come. 

She just finished putting the last of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher when Papyrus slipped out quietly from Sans' room, who was already sending off faint snores. Mel dried off her hands and gave a quick smile to him as she passed so she could begin her rightly routine before heading to bed herself. She had just taken the first steps up the stairs when long, lanky fingers gently grabbed at her wrist, halting her. She looked at the skeleton curiously. 

"Wait," he said softly. "There's something I want to show you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I headcanon Swap!Pap still having the classic Papyrus laugh whenever he's genuinely amused. :D Also, I really did listen to mariachi music when I was writing that first bit. 
> 
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	13. Cityscape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listened to [ Not Going Home ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ri0vZLb4Qg) by Great Good Fine OK repeatedly. I highly suggest listening to it too while reading this chapter.

"Show me what?" she asked, not yet moving from where she stood on the stairs.

His usual smirk appeared. "It's a surprise." He blinked as realization hit him. "Oh, here, put this on." Ducking his head he reached over and behind himself, grabbed fistfuls of his hoodie, and pulled it off of himself entirely before tossing the removed item to Mel, revealing a pale gray shirt he sometimes wore under it. She wound up clutching the hoodie to her chest in her attempt to catch it so it wouldn't fall to the floor. She tilted her head, her dark brown eyes now looking more confused than curious.

"We going somewhere?"

"Yeah, you'll probably need that, so go ahead and put it on."

Curiosity returned, blending with her confusion, as she held out his hoodie in front of her then made herself disappear into the fabric as she slipped it on over her head. Her mahogany hair was the first to pop out, then her freckled face, then her fingers as she slid her arms through the lengthy sleeves. It was already oversized for Papyrus, which made it entirely too big for Mel as the hem hung to her thighs and the sleeves easily extended inches beyond the length of her arms. The smell of him was particularly strong as well now that she was surrounded by it and she felt her face begin to heat up. She knew he could see her face flush, but that didn't stop her from trying to hide the lower half of her face behind the sleeves of his hoodie. He didn't tease her, however, but only gave her a soft smile that she wasn't used to, which made her blush more prominent. 

She had to draw her hands away from her face when he extended one of his own towards her in an invitation. She took it and he gently pulled her from down the stairs until they stood in front of each other. From there he slid around her so that he stood behind her readjusting his hold so that he now held both of her hands, which were up at her shoulders and holding just as gently against his own so that they would be a counter-balance in case she tipped forward for one reason or another. Mel looked behind her to try and see what he was up to, but she couldn't get a good look at him from where she stood. 

"What now?" she asked.

"Close your eyes. Don't open them until I say so, okay?"

What was he up to? Even so, she told him 'okay' and closed her eyes as she waited for whatever it was he was planning. There was a moment of silence between them and she sensed him shift behind her, likely to check to make sure she really was doing as he asked. Then, in an instant, the air around her changed.

Everything suddenly felt open. Wind teased at her hair, making the fringe framing her face brush against her chin and cheeks, and subtly nipped at her ears and nose. The sound of the wind in her ears mixed with a din that seemed to originate from below her as well. It was a hum that ran low and deep that she felt she knew but wasn't sure she wanted to assume. Her hold on his hands tightened slightly.

"Okay. You can open them," he said gently, leaning down a little towards her ear so she could hear clearly enough.

When she did open them she gasped. Spread out before her was the city itself, just on the edge of dusk before the fading light of the sun finally tipped and succumbed to the darkness of night. The distant sky was glowing softly in pinks, purples, and dark blues. The assortment of buildings with their varying heights and shapes gleamed from their countless windows as well as glowed from the equally numerous boxes of lights that illuminated the world within as well as without. The yellow-orange glow of those man-made lights were a brighter contrast to the dimmer, more natural light, but it added a sense of beauty to the image as a whole. 

Mel glanced down at the orange haze which made up the city streets and the flow of cars following along it, the stop and go of traffic reminding her of a beating heart. When she brought her eyes fully down to look at her feet they widened in fear as she gasped again, stumbling back into Papyrus when she saw that she was standing on the edge of a skyscraper. Papyrus, however, held steady and kept them both from toppling back as his hands tightened around her own. 

"Whoa. Easy, easy...It's okay." He gave her hands a gentle squeeze, a reassurance that there was no need to panic as he kept his head bowed low enough to keep speaking gently into her ear. "I got'cha."

She swallowed, her grip staying tight on his hands as she brought her eyes back up from the edge of the building the two of them were standing on and out towards the horizon again. It took a minute or two of her steadying her breathing as well as her heartbeat until the initial fear for her safety faded away, replaced by the presence of Papyrus and his ever reassuring grip on her hands. The silence lingered a little longer between them, the only sounds being the sounds of the city moving below and around them, before he spoke up again.

"This is where I went."

"Huh?"

"That morning you found me gone...this is where I went."

"Oh," Mel replied, realization and recollection returning to her as she looked back over her shoulder at him again.

"It's where I go when I can't sleep. The view from here helps remind me that being up here, up on the surface, is real."

"What do you mean? Do you...dream you're back underground sometimes?"

"They're more like nightmares, but yeah. Seeing the sky, seeing the city, watching monsters and humans walking around below, keeps me grounded. Sometimes, when I go to sleep, I'm afraid I'll wake up and find it all gone. I don't want to lose this..."

He startled when he noticed Mel twisting around carefully so that she no longer had to her back to him but instead was facing him and wrapped her arms around his middle while burying her face in his chest. She still had yet to get used to the feeling of him feeling like he was human under his clothes. 

"This is real, Pap," she said, her voice muffled slightly as she breathed into his shirt. She pressed her hands harder into his back and could feel how he really was underneath--gentle rises and dips making up his ribs. "This is real," she repeated, whispering now.

Papyrus wrapped his arms around her, the exposed bones of his forearms down to his hands pressing into her, but she didn't make any sound of discomfort. "I know, Mel. Even this..." He hunched over, enveloping her more fully while she rose up in her tip toes so that she could bury her face in his shoulder. "I _never_ want to lose this."

"Thanks for telling me, Pap."

"No problem, Mel." 

The view of the city before them was temporarily forgotten as they remained as they were, arms wrapped around each other and holding each other close. Mel did it because she wanted to reassure Papyrus as he had done with her only minutes ago, hoping and wishing that her simply being there was enough. 

"Thanks for showing me this, too," she added, her voice soft. "I really liked it." A moment later she let out a quiet giggle, causing him to look down at her questioningly. "Wouldn't have expected a lazybones like you to find a place like this. I don't even recognize what part of the city we're in!"

Papyrus made the look of amusement quickly disappear off the girl's face when he leaned down and touched his forehead to hers, keeping a steady gaze on her like he had done after she managed to wake him up from his nightmare. Mel went shy as she bit at her lip and leaned back ever so slightly.

"I go the extra mile for those I care about."

Mel made a little sound in her throat as she felt her face heat up again. He chuckled at her expression, which only made her feel even more flustered as she pulled her hands in towards herself and tried to cover her blush with the sleeves of his hoodie. He remained chuckling at that though his expression remained gentle through the sounds of his amusement. When his chuckling faded the two remained silent, letting the sounds of the wind and city fill it in for them. All the while they remained looking at each other until the dying light of the sun finally faded away and night took over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	14. Brave Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, who's left comments and kudos lately! And a special shout-out to the new people who pass by and leave lovely comments about how they're enjoying the story. Y'all make me happy~ ;u;

Mel yawned again as she tied her apron around herself after clocking into work that morning. That's how it always was with her first thing in the morning when she made it to work, feeling as tired and droopy as the café's first customers until the place was filled with the scent of roasting coffee beans, stirring her senses and helping her wake up. Joshua showed up minutes before Mel did and was already busying himself by pulling out fresh muffins and croissants into the display case for those who wished for something to chew on while sipping at their drinks. 

Dani didn't show up for another fifteen to twenty minutes later. 

"You're late," Joshua chided as he was slipping into the back again. 

"I still made it," she retorted, tying her hair back as she strode towards the counter. 

"Dani, this is the third time this week. How many times does it make that this month? Nearly ten?" 

"Hey, as long as I'm here, it's fine."

"Here, and _on time_ ," Joshua emphasized. "You can't keep doing this, Dani. Set an earlier alarm if you need to, or something. Don't be late tomorrow." The girl merely gave a quiet 'tsk' behind her teeth and went about working with Mel behind the counter. 

Throughout the rest of the morning Mel worked quietly, her mind recalling recent events between herself and the skeleton brothers, especially with Papyrus. She felt herself smiling a little every time her thoughts lingered on him. And whenever her thoughts lingered on him she remembered the question he had left her a while ago: what did bravery mean to her? It was a question she had yet to answer for herself. The more she thought on it the more she came to a realization that her kind of bravery certainly wasn't going to match the kind she'd seen in movies and TV shows, which then made her wonder about what other kinds of bravery there could be. 

"Mel, move," Dani said bluntly, pulling the girl from her thoughts. Dani currently stood at Mel's side, her hands on her hips and waiting for her co-worker to move so that she could stride by, even though there was still plenty of room between Mel's body and the edge of the counter for her to slide through. 

Mel gave her a disbelieving look. "Move around me," she replied before pulling the lever on the coffee maker and watching the particular cup she was brewing begin to fill up with the dark blend of beans her current customer asked for. 

"Just move."

"No. Move around me, there's plenty of room."

Dani gave another 'tsk' and did so, rolling her eyes as she did so. "What's gotten into you? Jeez."

It was a fair question to ask. Before now Mel usually submitted to Dani's insistence but always made it look like it wasn't a bother--moments when she put on her brave face. The recollection of her brave face in previous instances brought back the memory of when Papyrus had to draw her soul out in order to prove his point that she wasn't okay and wasn't going to convince him otherwise. In a half-absent minded gesture she touched the center of her chest with her fingertips after serving her waiting customer their order, remembering the way her soul looked yet being mesmerized by the sight of it, regardless. In fact, ever since she was made to think on her having a naturally brave soul and what the word meant to her, she had begun to seem...defiant...to Dani. 

It was then that she realized one thing about bravery, and its significance to her: Bravery never meant that you were never afraid.

• • •

Towards the last hour of her shift Mel was greeted by a few familiar faces. The first to step through into the café were Sans and Papyrus, who were immediately followed by Alphys and Undyne. Mel was certainly happy to have another visit from the brothers, but couldn't help a look of surprise when she saw the unlikely couple show up as well. Things were already quieting down since the lunch rush was pretty much over and the café would remain quiet until evening, but having energetic Sans and boisterous Alphys was more than enough to keep things lively.

"Hi guys, I wasn't expecting you to come," she said as she leaned against the counter. 

"Surprise," Papyrus said languidly. Mel noticed a bit of a pleased smile on his face when their eyes met, making her smile in return.

"Sans doesn't shut up about this place, so we thought we'd stop by too!" Alphys exclaims as she gives one of her usual, toothy grins. 

"It's good to see all of you here. Just one second and I'll be right with you."

"D-don't f-f-feel rushed," poor Undyne muttered, wringing her webbed hands nervously as she kept close to Alphys. The only time she wasn't wringing her hands was whenever she needed to nudge her glasses back up her face, which was becoming frequent due to her fidgeting.

Mel gave one more, reassuring smile to the fish monster before she finished her task of restocking clean mugs. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Dani just standing there in a particular posture. A quick glance revealed that her co-worker had her hip out to the side, arms crossed over her chest, and one of her looks on her face as she stared at the four currently at the counter. The unwavering gaze from Dani was already making Undyne an even more nervous wreck which, in turn, was making Alphys give a glare back to Dani. Sans was more interested in the coffee machines at that moment, but Papyrus kept making cautious glances to the side at the blonde. 

"Ugh, it's like looking at a couple of corpses," Dani muttered, but Mel felt like it was still just loud enough for her friends to hear. Mel pursed her lips already going back to her usual reaction of trying to brush it off as nothing. An instant later she realized what she was doing and, instead, held onto the girl's words, knowing who they were directed at.

"Why'd they have to show up anyway?" the blonde continued. "I can just see them scaring kids wherever they go. You know, the tall one's glaring at me again. Did it once before when they showed up the first time here. And is that other short one supposed to be some kind of dinosaur? Those died millions of years ago, so this one should be too. The blue one reminds me of a kid I saw back in elementary school--always got picked on and his lunch money stolen. Ew, is it sweating? Gross. What if it leaves--"

Mel's brows furrowed deeper the more words that fell out of Dani's mouth. She was doing this on purpose. She was purposefully picking at each of the four monsters on the other side of the counter--her friends. If she was remembering bullies and picked on kids right now, then she was no better than the bully right now. Mel felt indignation rise steadily within her making her feel like a kettle about to start whistling scalding steam, but wasn't sure what she would say to make her co-worker shut up. 

Bravery never meant never being afraid.

Bravery, to her, meant acknowledging that she was afraid, but still taking that step forward. 

"Dani, that's enough!" Mel barked as she suddenly rose to her full height, startling everyone in the vicinity. The blonde had a look of disbelief on her face at the Mel's outburst. Neither noticed the four monsters' looks of amazement as all of them noticed a bright flare of clear, honey orange light from Mel's soul. There was no flickering now. 

At the sudden volume of voice levels even Joshua peeked his head out from the back. He immediately saw the steadfast, defiant look in Mel's face compared to the disbelief on Dani's own and smirked. 

"They are paying customers. They are my _friends_ , and they have done nothing to deserve you speaking so poorly against them. Maybe if you stopped looking at them as things, and more like people, you'd treat them as how they ought to be. But I don't see that happening. So, instead, while you're here, get over yourself and do your job!"

From the look on her face Dani wanted to say something in retaliation, but never got the opportunity as Alphys suddenly whooped and hollered for Mel. The large grin on her face, clearly revealing her rows of carnivorous teeth, showed just how pleased she was with the girl which made Mel give a suddenly shy smile back.

"Yeah, you tell her!"

"You have been rather rude," commented another patron, a regular, from behind the group. "Don't think we haven't noticed."

Dani remained looking disbelieving. She looked like a queen who was finally getting taken off her throne. Her eyes darted around between Mel and all the other patrons filling the café, and even behind her to notice Joshua leaning against the frame of the swinging door to the back, giving her a look that said 'I told you so.' With a huff she shoved her way past Joshua and disappeared into the back.

"Good job, Mel," Joshua said calmly, his expression looking pleased again. 

Papyrus looked pleased too. He didn't need to stare too long into Mel's soul to see it gently pulsing, now shining the honey orange color it was meant to be. He had to admit that he rather liked the color. 

"Finally figured out bravery for yourself, huh?" he said.

"Yeah," she replied, stroking her hand through her hair. She took a momentary glance down at her chest. "Does it...look better?"

"Yeah. It looks good, Mel." He paused as he gave her his gentle smile. "It looks great."

"Good. I like being brave..."

The look on Papyrus' face changed multiple times within the space of a second. It went from pleased, to confused, to surprised, and then finally to flustered. Mel, without warning, leaned into the counter while reaching out for him and then yanked him towards her, directing his sudden forward movement until her soft lips were pressed against his teeth. It felt like she was kissing a coffee mug--a drinkably warm, slightly softer than, but still hard and smooth, coffee mug. His entire skull flared his unique orange color at the gesture and there was some strangled noise caught in his throat. 

Her own face had flushed pink when she pulled away. "...because then I do stuff like that."

The café erupted into another round of cheers. Alphys and Undyne were ecstatic at seeing a romantic move somewhere other than their animes, Sans was giggling his usual 'mweh heh heh' with his hands over his eyes--but still couldn't hide the faint tint of cyan appearing across his cheekbones--and a usually quiet patron gave a loud whistle at the sight. They quickly ducked their head and hid behind their laptop, though. Even Joshua gave a casual thumbs up. 

Papyrus' skull was still glowing orange, his expression still shocked and flustered, as he reached up with fumbling hands to try and get his hoodie up so he could cover his face. Once it was in place he took a step back and shoved his hands into the front pocket there. "J-jeez, Mel..."

Mel couldn't help but laugh, feeling new as her soul continued to shine brightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading the story so far!  
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~
> 
> 'till next time~


	15. Moving Forward

The newfound energy carried Mel over for days. She just felt like a new person and it thrilled her, leaving her smiling more frequently and daring to do little things in the day she had not done in a long time. The smile on her face was already there as she was giving one last wipe-down to the tables in the café before the place opened for another day. Joshua was in his usual place in the back, popping in and out as he worked to put in fresh goods into the display case, the collective warmth of them making the glass mist over ever so slightly in comparison to the cooler air outside. Dani had yet to show up.

When the door chimed, signaling the entrance of another, Mel looked up thinking that she'd find Dani finally clocking in for work. But, to her surprise, it was their manager. She was a middle-aged lady who constantly had her hair up and out of her face in a messy bun which always looked like it was about to fall out anyway. She came by now and then due to her handling another job in the meantime elsewhere in the city, but was always within reach whenever someone needed her. She was fair, but strict, like the motherly figure she was. 

"Oh, good morning!" Mel blurted out upon recognizing her. 

"Good morning, Mel," she replied in a still somewhat tired, but pleasant, tone. "Where are Dani and Josh?"

"Joshua's in the back. In fact, there he is," Mel said as he popped out again to assemble the last few muffins. He gave them both a wave before disappearing again. "And...Dani's yet to show up."

The manager huffed as she crossed her arms across her chest, watching Mel finish up her task before trotting back behind the counter in preparation for the first customers of the morning. "I've been getting complaints that she's been doing that lately."

"Yeah, it's been going for...a month? Maybe a little more? Joshua's told her to adjust her schedule and make it on time multiple times, but she hasn't been listening."

"I see. Well, whenever she does decide to show up for work, let her know that I'll be waiting for her."

"Yes, ma'am," Mel replied as she watched the woman make her way to the back, likely to slip into her office. 

It wasn't until after the initial rush of morning customers had already lined themselves up towards the counter, leaving Mel scrambling to manage one order after another on her own, that Dani finally appeared. Mel gave a clearly displeased look to her co-worker while she had her back to a customer, filling up their cup of their desired brew. 

"Where have you been? I've been struggling to handle all this myself for the past half hour," she hissed. 

"I needed to get ready. I'm here now, so calm down," Dani replied casually, further irritating Mel's nerves. 

"Don't bother," she retorted. "I'll handle it. Manager's here and she wants to talk to you. She's in her office. Don't leave her waiting, like you did the rest of us."

The blonde raised a single eyebrow but gave no verbal reply. Brushing her hair over her shoulder to no doubt try and look just a little nicer she quietly excused herself from behind the counter to the back of the establishment to meet with her superior. 

The two were in there for a while. It wasn't until a voice went shrill in anger that anyone took notice. Mel was in the middle of making a leaf shape with cream for one of the café's usual customers who dined in when she heard the noise and had to pause out of curiosity. A few other patrons turned their heads in the same direction when they heard.

"I can't believe this! You can't fire me! I'll be jobless without this!" There was a lull in Dani's rage, likely the manager speaking a few more words, before the shrieking returned. "Well...screw this place, anyway!"

The door leading into the manager's office suddenly burst open, nearly causing Mel to spill some of the coffee from the oversized mug containing it due to her getting startled. Dani's cheek were some shade between pink and red with her brows scrunched close together while the air of disbelief and seething irritation radiated off her. She didn't look much different from a toddler who was having a temper tantrum. With a particularly loud huff she ripped the barista apron off herself and threw into the counter as she stomped her way through the place, going out the doors, and disappearing from sight as she walked away. 

"That went well," Joshua said with gentle sarcasm.

"Well..." their manager said as she emerged from her office.

"What exactly happened?" Mel asked.

"Well," she started again, "Josh had been sending me complaints about Dani's behavior and tardiness. He even mentioned that I look at the security footage. So I did. I'm most displeased with the way the two of you have had to deal with her attitude. Worse still, to some of our customers! So, with her own actions now working against her I had no choice but to fire her."

"She certainly wasn't happy about that," Mel commented.

"She brought it on herself. If she really cared about this job she would have cared more about everyone that came through that door, and not just a few." Mel smiled at that comment, grateful of her manager being as open and friendly as ever, even to monsters. She was brought out her thoughts when her manager heaved a sigh. "Now that Dani will no longer be working here, I'll need to find someone to fill in her place. Let's have a look at some of those applications..."

A week later the café hired its first monster employee--a sweet, plant-like monster (Mel swore monsters like her were the reason mythology had accounts of dryads) who burst into colorful flowers depending on her current mood. Upon meeting Joshua for the first time little flowers appeared in every possible shade of pink.

• • •

Mel busied herself by taking care of the laundry between herself and Papyrus, since Sans was responsible enough to take care of it on his own. Even if his clothes were immaculately clean throughout the day she'd find them tossed into the hamper by the end of it. Sometimes the girl wondered if he washed his things after one wear...

Upon opening the dryer she snorted when she saw the elder brother's signature orange hoodie with the mix of shirts, jeans, shorts, and socks between the both of them. A moment later she smiled, remembering the first and only time she had worn it for herself when Papyrus brought her out into the city to look out over it from the top of a skyscraper. Partly as an excuse to better recall that moment between them, and also just because she wanted to, she pulled out the article of clothing and slipped it on. It really was comfy, so it was almost no wonder why the skeleton wore it constantly.

She was hoping she'd slip through the apartment unnoticed, but, unfortunately, she ran right into Papyrus as she was about to drop his clothes off on the couch before taking the hamper with the rest of her clothes up to her loft. He immediately gave her a look and she couldn't help but give a few amused, unattractive snorts before quickly trotting out of the way.

"Oi. You have something of mine."

"I have a lot of things that are yours," she replied as she indicated towards the hamper in her hands.

She was just about to slip past him entirely when Papyrus reached out and caught the hood to his sweater, halting Mel's forward motion with a gag. She stood where she stopped and he didn't let go yet. 

"I mean one thing in particular."

"You're not getting this back," she teased as she looked over her shoulder at him, smirking. She paused briefly, thinking over an idea that suddenly came to her and deciding she'd go with it, despite not quite knowing how it would go. "Actually, you could get this back. In exchange for something else."

"Oh? We're bargaining for my hoodie now? What would I need to give in exchange for it?" Papyrus asked.

Mel set the hamper down, turned to face him with her hands on her hips, and gave him a bright smile. "Go on a date with me."

He sputtered, taken by surprise. "Wh-what?"

"Go on a date with me," she repeated, unfazed by the suddenness of her request due to the courage she felt in her soul.

Papyrus chuckled as he recovered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Jeez, Mel. Beat me to the punch--twice. First, that kiss, now this." He stepped closer and touched his forehead to hers, looking down at her fondly. 

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that, as they say, is that.  
> Thank you, everyone, for reading this story! I appreciate all the comments and kudos y'all leave, telling your reactions and your favorite bits to chapters. I enjoy knowing y'all like my stuff. 
> 
> To my readers: Keep an eye out, I've got another story in the works, and here's hoping it's a doozie! I plan on posting the first chapter by the 31st. 
> 
> Check out my [ TUMBLR ](http://jarofmayonnaise.tumblr.com/) to see what nonsense I like and reblog! Or, feel free to leave me a message~


End file.
